


Why Are You Here?

by Writer4Christ



Category: Timeless (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Family, Friendship, Guilt, Partnership, Post-Defeat of Rittenhouse (Timeless), Secrets, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-22
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2020-07-11 16:16:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 22,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19930915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writer4Christ/pseuds/Writer4Christ
Summary: The story takes place after the Christmas movie. Lucy Preston completed her part in the final mission. She went back to her own timeline and handed Flynn the journal. In the present, she is at war with herself after seeing him again. Will the past come back to haunt her? Will her idyllic life that she built for herself come crashing down? What was the whole point if everyone could not save the people they loved?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My first Timeless/Garcy fanfic.

“I made tenure,” she said quietly to the open air. The previous jubilation she felt since the announcement was made at work was subdued as she saw Flynn’s name engraved on the tombstone. After five years he was still the easiest person to talk to. 

She could imagine his eyes sparkling at her news. He would say congratulations followed with some sarcastic remark. What she wouldn’t give to hear him say they were both geniuses. To hear him say that she deserved it and she made her own path despite her mother.

“We did it Garcia. We went back to our own timeline. I gave you the journal like you said I would. You were so broken. It pained me to see you in such a state,” she continued. “You are a hero Garcia. I hope you remember…”

Would he want to remember her? She didn’t exactly give him encouraging words to help end Rittenhouse. She’s pretty sure whatever she told him the first time was like a dream come true. This time she told him he was the greatest hero and he wouldn’t get his family back. 

Real smart. Who was she to do such a thing and yet she did. 

She placed three blue irises on the tombstone. She blinked back the tears as she recalled Flynn’s words. “I know one day we will save the people we love.”

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m so sorry.” She wiped her eyes straightening herself up. She turned to head towards the car. 

She goes home and smiles at the sound of her children laughing. She follows the noise to the kitchen. Her daughters are baking cookies with Wyatt. Probably some celebratory dessert courtesy of Flynn and Amy. A laugh threatens to spill forth at the site but she stifles it. She opts to quietly look on. 

There is a guilt that rises within her as she continues. Flynn did not have many opportunities to enjoy such activities with Iris. He was robbed of many birthdays, anniversaries, Christmases by Rittenhouse only to turn himself into a martyr. For the team, yes, but ultimately for her own happiness. 

A happiness she was afraid to upend. A happiness that included everything she ever wanted and sometimes she still felt at war with herself. 

She escapes the kitchen without being seen. 

Lucy closes her bedroom door and locks it quietly. She walks to the closest and pulls out the journal. Her fingers wrap around the centuries old letter he wrote to her in 1848. Her eyes scan every word and with every word comes feelings she refused to acknowledge. His words that transport her back to Chinatown.

She asked him one question and he never got a chance to answer directly. A letter that was supposed to end it all. An end of a chapter she wasn’t finished with yet. A chapter he felt needed to end no matter the consequence.

The letter reopens a wound she desperately tried to close one too many times. She shoves the letter back into the journal.

She heaves a heavy sigh and puts the journal back into place. 

The soft knock on the door alerts her to Wyatt’s presence. 

She opens the door and he is all smiles. The girls are trailing behind him as they giggle. 

“What are you three up to?”

“We made you cookies,” Amy said. She offers her the plate and she takes one. 

“Thank you Ames,” she said. 

The girls run off to their room and Wyatt steps inside.

How did you even know I was back?" she asked. 

“I saw your car before we came upstairs," he replied. Where did you go after you left the bunker?” he asked.

“I took a drive to clear my head,” she said. “That last trip was surreal,” she admitted. 

“You finished the mission,” he said encouragingly and hugged her. She hugged him back out of common courtesy. She didn’t feel like she accomplished anything.


	2. Chapter 2

Rage was the only emotion Lucy felt as she chased Emma through the dark alleyways of Chinatown. Her best friend, her beloved Rufus, shot dead right in front of her and she was powerless to stop any of it. Another person gone from her complicated life. No matter how hard she tried to save everyone, it was never enough.

She was over all of it. She was over people messing with the people she considered family. She had to stop Emma from causing any more damage. She would not allow her to take away anybody else she loved.

As the gun felt cold and dangerous in her hand, Lucy never felt more like the daughter of Rittenhouse. Somewhere, in the back of her mind as she cried and yelled into nothingness, she imagined Carol Preston smiling proudly as Lucy stood over Emma. Lucy was judge, jury and executioner. She was the determining factor on whether Emma would descend into hell that day. Carol Preston and maybe even David Rittenhouse himself would be leaping for joy at such a change.

Could she be a ruthless murderer? Could she seek revenge and get justice for her friends and family? The answer was yes.

All she had to do was pull the trigger right into Emma’s head and be done with it. 

“Lucy,” Emma begged. “Please.” Lucy could see the nervousness in her eyes. Emma’s rapid breathing was the only sound registering to Lucy. The sound of life. 

The plea rang hollow and untrustworthy in her ears. Emma did not deserve mercy or grace. She didn’t deserve to live while Rufus was still lying cold in the streets. 

She pulled the trigger only to be out of bullets.

“Crap,” she thought. “What was she going to do now?”

However, her folly was the exact push Emma needed to obtain the upper hand. Lucy was knocked on her back instantly, but she would not be deterred. She gave it her all in the fight with Emma. She refused to go down as the naïve princess of Rittenhouse even if it meant dying. 

Her saving grace came in the form of Flynn as he shot warning shots at their mutual enemy. 

But Lucy cannot let her get away with this injustice. She grabs Flynn’s gun and fires. 

“Lucy,” he calls out softly as she falls back to the floor broken. Mentally, emotionally and physically torn. She failed Rufus, her mother, her sister. What was the point of living at this particular time? What did she have to live for?

Flynn, with his injured arm, held and comforted her. His presence remained a steady force underneath the shattering reality they would have to face once they returned home.

“I can’t Flynn. I can’t,” she murmured. All she can do is feel Flynn’s forehead against hers. She wants to scream. 

Lucy jerked out of her sleep. Eyes wide open as she struggled to slow her breathing. The bedroom was quiet and peaceful. There was no Chinatown. There was no Emma. There were no guns for her to grab and shoot. 

She eventually looked over to Wyatt who was still sound asleep.

She fell back against the pillow, but her mind was racing. It’d been a couple of weeks since their last time travel adventure and yet her dreams were full of the past.

She had not spoken a word to Wyatt about any of it. In his world, life was perfect. Life continued on the same path as it was meant to. Life was normal. She reasoned within herself a long time ago that normal was relative. 

She climbed out of bed quietly and went to the living room. She turned on the tv, rolled her eyes and snorted. This was Flynn and the universe playing a joke on her. 

“It Happened One Night,” she murmured. She looked up at the ceiling. “This is not funny Garcia.”

Lucy’s eyes focused on the screen again and for a moment she pretended she was enjoying the movie with an old friend. 

She had no idea Wyatt was standing on the foot of the steps watching her. 

##

“Sir, the Lifeboat jumped.” The tech, Marcus, hesitated to say anything out of fear. 

“What? When?” a voice said surprised.

The question was met by silence. 

“When?!” 

“Two weeks ago…sir,” Marcus replied.

“Two weeks ago. Why are we just now finding this out? Why weren’t we notified the minute it happened?” The anger seeping through the man’s voice was evident.

“Our technology is rusty. We don’t have the necessary equipment to keep up with the jumps. A lot changes in five years and we don’t have the resources we used to.”

The man growled and ran his hands over his face. “Where did the lifeboat jump to?”

“Sao Paulo, Brazil on December 24, 2014.”

The man’s face paled. 

“Sir…what is so significant about the place and the date?”

“Let me know when it jumps again,” the man ordered. He went to his office and shut the door. He passed by the picture of Lorena, Iris and Garcia on his desk and picked it up. 

His emotions were going to be all over the place if he didn’t reign himself in. 

He dialed his colleague. 

“Cahill Industries,” the receptionist answer.

“Ethan Rittenhouse,” he said.

The phone clicked abruptly and suddenly a hardened voice was in his ear. “Gabriel,” he hears. “Rittenhouse is not supposed to be said out loud. It’s not funny when you do stupid stuff like that.”

“Ask me if I care. Did you know the Lifeboat jumped to 2014 two weeks ago?”

Gabriel heard the sigh on the other end. “It’s begun again.”

“You think?”

“It’s on track to start this way. You know they were-

“You don’t have to remind me,” Gabriel said gripping the phone. “Apparently they succeeded in going to their own timeline and not coming back dead.”

Ethan was silent for another minute. “We can’t change their lives. We are not playing God.”

“Now you want to preserve history. You found out dear old dad was a lunatic and you have taken upon yourself to correct the sins of the father,” Gabriel said angrily.

A brief pause. “What do you want from us?”

“What Rittenhouse wanted…to change history,” he said and hung up the phone.

Gabriel sat down in his chair and put his forehead in his hands. He would apologize later.

The last five years had been unforgiving and unkind. His mother and stepfather weren’t the same. They tried to move forward but losing three precious family members in their close-knit family was a blow. Even he wasn’t the same jovial person he once was.

Rittenhouse truly did suck the life out of people. The one saving grace was Ethan but that relationship could be murky at best. No, he needed the true source of Rittenhouse.

He opened his laptop and searched the database. A smile crept on his face and for the first time, in a long time, he felt hope.

“Lucy Preston. I found you,” he whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I imagine a young Keanu Reeves playing Gabriel.


	3. Chapter 3

“Wyatt!” 

A piercing scream filled the empty night sky, but it wasn’t Lucy’s voice that rang out. It was Jessica’s terror filled voice that cried out for help. She seemed to be in a prison. The bars were her enemy and she pleaded for someone, anyone, to come to her rescue. She desperately wanted out of the holding cell.

Her disturbing cries grew quieter as footsteps fell on the cold, hard ground. Footsteps that could mean her saving grace or her downfall. 

“Hello Jess.” A man’s soothing and gentle voice called out to her. “It’s going to be alright. Trust me. I’ll set you free.”

The cell door opened, and Jessica stepped into blackness disappearing from the vision altogether.

It was the first vision Jiya had in five years. She spent those five years learning to keep them dormant. She refused to be another Stanley and go insane. Never knowing whether she was coming or going. Once she had Rufus back and the team disbanded, she willingly reverted to her pre-Chinatown days as best she could.

She tucked her abilities away determined to keep them at a distance only for them to come back with a vengeance. 

Now, she lays prostrate on the couch with the lights off in their apartment, with a blanket. Her head is killing her.

As much as she wants to forget she had a vision she cannot. She did not understand why she would have a vision of Jessica who had been dead for five years.

Who was the man who appeared to have come to her rescue? Was it Wyatt? Would he have gone behind their backs and rescued her still? 

She subconsciously rubs the scar on her chest. “If he did it once…,” she thought. She groaned pulling the covers over her tighter. No, he had outgrown Jessica. He finally put her behind him. He started over with Lucy and they had a family. He would not betray the team.

More questions plagued her. What were her visions referring to? What did it all mean? None of it made sense. 

Jiya was broken out of her train of thought at the sound of keys jangling. The sound made her cringe. One look at her and Rufus would know something was wrong. 

“Jiya, I’m home.”

Should she fake the flu? Should she make any noise? It was time be quick on her feet.

“Jiya,” Rufus said walking into the living room. He peeked around the couch to see her lying still.

Jiya felt a small kiss pressed against her temple. He assumed she fell asleep. She heard him shuffle to the back and she was glad she didn’t have to face him yet.

It was well into the next morning when she woke up. She doesn’t even remember falling asleep after Rufus let her be. 

“Hey sleepyhead,” Rufus said from across the room. She forced herself to move into an upright position. Her shoulder was aching from the awkward state she slept in.

“What time is it?”

“9:30am.”

“Crap. I’m late for work,” she said alarmed.

“Um, Jiya…relax. You’re the boss. You can show up late.”

Her nerves were already getting to her. “No, I’ll go in. Don’t wait up.”

Rufus narrows his eyes as she makes her way to their bedroom. Something was definitely wrong.

##

“What do you mean Jiya’s been acting strange?” Wyatt asked. Rufus invited him to lunch while Lucy was with the girls shopping.

“She’s been avoiding me for the past week and we live in the same apartment. She isn’t avoiding me because of work either. Do you think she found someone younger and more handsome?”

Wyatt rolled his eyes. “Like anyone can come between you and Jiya. You two are soulmates. She literally saved you from death. I think she plans on keeping you around,” he replied.

Rufus smirked. “I am worth it,” he joked.

Wyatt snorted. “Winning attitude right there.”

##

“Rufus thinks I’m at work,” Jiya told Lucy while they were shopping. The girls were in the shopping cart oblivious to anything around them.

Lucy tilts her head to the side silently questioning Jiya. Jiya hates it when she does her mom gaze.

“Stop looking at me like that. I’m not Amy or Flynn,” she bemoaned.

It was brief but there was a sharp change in Lucy’s expression at the name of Flynn. 

“What was that?” Jiya wondered.

“You’re avoiding Rufus. Why?”

“I haven’t been feeling well,” she started. “I-

“Jiya, are you-

“Am I what?” 

Lucy lowered her voice. “Pregnant.”

Jiya immediately shook her head no. “I’m having a grand time being Auntie Jiya. Nothing more.”

“Ok. Then what is it? Are you sick?”

“Headaches,” she answered. 

“Headaches,” Lucy repeated. She watched Jiya’s eyes as they begged her to put the pieces together. The realization dawned on her.

Lucy glanced at her daughters who were still oblivious to the world. 

“When did they start? What did you see?” she asked.

“They started after you three went to Sao Paulo,” she replied. “I haven’t had one since we got Rufus back and I wanted it to stay that way.”

Lucy was alarmed to say the least. First her dreams and now Jiya’s visions. “Jiya, have you spoken to Connor about this? At least he can help you.”

“Help me do what exactly? Even if I wanted his help, he’s back to traveling and saving the world through philanthropy.”

Lucy gave her an incredulous look. “Stop. He would drop everything for you.”

“You really have to stop looking at me like I’m stupid,” Jiya said. “And I know Connor would, but this isn’t his problem.” Lucy softened her face. 

“You have me worried. We have to tell Rufus.”

“Or we can hope and pray I don’t have another one. I like that option better. Listen, he’s going to watch me like a hawk. Even the slightest movement is going to make him on edge. I don’t need him hovering. Please, don’t say anything.”

Lucy reluctantly agreed. “All bets are off if this gets out of hand.”

Jiya nodded. “Thank you.”

They walked to the children’s toy section of the store. “What did you see?” Lucy asked again.

“Darkness which made no sense,” Jiya said. She didn’t need Lucy freaking out over Wyatt’s dead wife.

“Interesting. Nothing else worth mentioning.”

“No,” Jiya said.

Lucy didn’t ask anything else to which she was grateful for. 

The women continued shopping and soon enough the girls realized what section they were in.

“Mama, can I get a toy?” Flynn asked.

“I want one too,” Amy chimed in. 

Jiya stifled a laugh. Lucy sent her a glare. “Not helping Auntie Jiya.”

“Didn’t your mom bu-

“Jiya,” Lucy said worriedly after she trailed off. She followed Jiya’s line of sight to see a stranger on his phone. Lucy called Jiya’s name again and she blinked.

“Hey, where did you go?”

“Sorry. I thought I recognized someone,” she said. “From college,” she added.

Lucy knew a lie when she heard one but chose not to make a fuss in front of the girls. 

“Okay. I think we need to go home,” Lucy said.

##

“Are you sure it was her?” Marcus asked.

“Yes, she was with her family and the psychic girl,” the voice on the other end said. 

“Mr. Tompkins needs to know for sure. We can’t make any mistakes,” Marcus relayed. 

“Look at the photo.”

Marcus opens the message and is struck by what he sees. He’s been chasing ghosts and these ghosts have now come to life. He looks at Lucy and Jiya and reminds himself that his hard work was not in vain. His boss would be pleased with the confirmation.

“Have the arrangements been made on Mr. Tompkins’ behalf?” Marcus questioned.

“Everything is in order,” the man said. “Just one thing…”

“What?”

“I think psychic girl recognized me. She looked as if she knew me.”

“Did you cross paths with her at any point?”

“No.”

“Then there’s nothing to fear. Just get Mr. Tompkins to the appropriate location. He will do the rest,” Marcus instructed.

Marcus overlooks the bay as he hung up the phone. Never in a million years did he think he could try and manipulate time for a good cause. It was funny how life came full circle. He purposely hid his past and his family’s secret only for it be to blown wide open.

Being the grandson of the infamous “Doc” didn’t always work in his favor. How Gabriel found his grandmother he would never know. She always said Rittenhouse was in the blood. Nobody joins Rittenhouse, you’re born into it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's more to Marcus than meets the eye. Who remembers the Watergate episode where Rufus, Lucy, Wyatt and Flynn were looking for "The Doc"?


	4. Chapter 4

Gabriel should know better than to call his mother before making one of the biggest decisions of his life. The consequences of this particular meeting would be crucial, and it could either bring his mother joy or more pain. 

“Gabriel, what are you doing? Your message sounded strange. Something about making a real difference in the world the right way,” Maria Flynn said concerned. “Where are you?”

“I’m in Connecticut. I’m attending a guest lecture of one of Stanford’s greatest history professors,” he told her. “What's so strange about that? You know how much I love history. 

“I do but when does an engineer have time to attend guest speaking engagements? Is that the only reason you’re in Connecticut?”

“This engineer took some vacation time and I’m enjoying it. You said I needed to get out more and enjoy life. That’s what I’m doing,” Gabriel lied.

Maria sighed increasing his guilt for lying to her. “I did say that. It’s nice to know the old Gabriel is still inside you. I want you to be happy. Your father and Garcia would want you to live.”

More guilt creeps in. “Mom, I have to go, or I’ll be late. I love you mom.”

“Love you too sweetheart. Be safe out there,” Maria replied and hung up the phone.

Gabriel looks at himself in the full-length mirror in his hotel room. He readjusts the cufflinks on his shirt. Cufflinks his little brother gave him a long time ago.

“This is for you baby brother,” he thought. 

##

“Grace Humiston, otherwise known as Mrs. Sherlock Holmes, was the first female lawyer in New York but also a reluctant hero in the women’s movement. She lived in a world where she had to fight for respect by the men in her profession. Humiston thought the women were only fooling themselves in their quest. However, the turning point came, when Humiston solved the murder of Alice Paul,” Lucy lectured.

“Alice Paul was supposed to deliver a rousing speech while President Wilson visited New York. Alice Paul and her compatriots knew this was the moment of a lifetime and they would not squander it. Unfortunately, Alice never got that chance.”

“Grace took up the cause as she witnessed the police brutality against the women and delivered the infamous speech that made the biggest impact in women’s rights in the 1920s,” Lucy continued.

“President Woodrow Wilson was deeply moved and he passed the 19th amendment. It was a rousing speech to witness,” Lucy lectured. 

“You sound as if you witnessed the event yourself,” a voice rang out. The comment garnered a laugh from the audience.

“Well, that would be impossible,” Lucy said. “I would be 80 years old by now.” Another round of laughter erupted.

“Or you could be the world’s greatest time traveler.”

Lucy put on a smile. “Anyway, back to Grace Humiston and the women’s movement…

After the lecture she went to the café to have lunch. She was supposed to meet Wyatt on campus but he couldn’t make it due to work. 

“Dr. Preston, may I?” 

Lucy looks up at the man’s brown eyes. There’s something hauntingly familiar about his features. 

“Are you here to spout off more conspiracy theories?” she asked.

“Not quite,” he said taking his seat across from her. “I was very impressed with your lecture on women’s rights. I’m a history nerd myself. I was wondering if you could autograph this book for my mother,” he continued taking out Lucy’s book from his satchel.

“I would love to,” she said smiling. “What would you like me to write?”

Gabriel watched as she opened the book to the front cover. “Dear Maria, always keep your love of history alive.”

She hands the book back to Gabriel. “Maria is such a lovely name.”

“Thank you. She’s famous in the engineering world…well, at least in my opinion. She’s modest so it’s up to me to put her on a pedestal.”

Lucy laughs softly. “What’s her name?”

“Maria Tompkins-Flynn,” he answered. He watches as the realization hits her fast and the blood drains from her face.

“Gabriel,” she said in disbelief.

“It’s nice to finally meet the woman who changed my brother’s life,” he said. “Garcia admired you.”

Lucy can’t quite believe what is happening in front of her. How did he find her?

“How did you find me? What do you want?”

“Through trial and error. You pulled quite the disappearing act after your last adventure. Settling into domestic life and hiding in the plain sight suits you. It is the family trait after all. Somehow, one trip to 2014 showed up on my radar. I had to reach you.”

Lucy narrowed her eyes. “What do you want?”

“I can’t exactly discuss,” he looks around before turning his attention back to her. “Rittenhouse in the open. I’m not supposed to say the name out loud,” he whispered.

“Says who? Rittenhouse is long gone.”

Gabriel snorted and laughed. “You’re good.”

“Good at what?”

“You sound as if you actually believe that.”

“I do,” she said. “We destroyed them,” Lucy continued.

There’s something in Gabriel’s eyes that shift. A mixture of incredulity and sadness. “Then you’re not the angel sent from Heaven my brother thought you were. You may have won the battle, but you did not win the war. All you’ve done is create more damage and leave the little people to clean up your mess.”

Gabriel grabbed his satchel and put it on his shoulder. “Here I thought you could help me, but I guess I was wrong.”

He left her sitting at the table aghast. “Come on Lucy Preston. Follow me,” he thought.

He is almost certain that his plan doesn’t work but he hears footsteps trailing behind him. “Wait,” she said.

He walks a few more steps. “Gabriel, wait,” she yelled. He does with an unreadable expression on his face.

“You think you can show up at my place of work and talk about Rittenhouse. I don’t know what you’re up to, but we did destroy them,” he said. “Rittenhouse ended years ago.”

“And you forgot the most important thing about them. People are born into it Lucy. Your family wasn’t the only one. You can’t be that naïve. One event does not erase an organization. They hid underground working to fix the present.”

“And who pray tell is running it?” Lucy asked expecting a ridiculous answer. 

“Your brother Ethan,” he answered. 

“That’s enough,” she said angrily. "I've heard enough." She started to walk away from him.

“Lucy, please don’t go.” 

His voice was sincere. Every fiber of her being was telling her to keep walking but she didn’t. 

“What do you want?”

“I want to save Garcia,” he said. “To save my mother from heartbreak. If I can somehow save Lorena and Iris…look, I need your help.”

Lucy’s eyes softened at his words. “We tried. We couldn’t do it.”

Gabriel tightened his grip on his satchel handle. “You didn’t try hard enough. However, I want to give you the opportunity to course correct.”

“Gabriel, whatever you’re planning-

“Meet me at this address,” he said pulling out a piece of paper from the satchel. “Tomorrow morning.”

“Whose address is this? We can’t show up to a stranger’s home.”

“The address belongs to my daughter. Meet me there.”

Lucy is left alone in the parking lot after he left. She was too stunned to move. What was she going to do? How was she going to tell any of this to Wyatt?


	5. Chapter 5

Lucy barely slept the night before. Her surprise meeting with Gabriel set her on edge. She was too engrossed thinking about the disturbing reality approaching her doorstep. Had she been truly naïve as to think Rittenhouse wouldn’t find a way to rise from the ashes? According to Agent Christopher, her father abandoned his control to save her life. 

What changed in such a short amount of time? Now she’s berating herself for not considering that her brother would take up the mantle. 

Gabriel was right about her forgetting that people were born into Rittenhouse. Thinking of him, she wondered what happened in his timeline. Did Garcia tell him about the journal? If he did, when? When did Gabriel partner with Ethan? Who else was involved in this plan of his?

How did Gabriel plan to accomplish this mission anyway? Would he seek out Rufus and Wyatt’s help as well? 

“Lucy,” she heard from behind as her husband kissed her cheek. She jumped spilling the coffee on the counter.

“I’m sorry,” he said and grabbed some paper towels.

“Not your fault. I didn’t hear you come in,” Lucy said. “Are the girls still asleep?”

“Yes,” he said. “You seemed to be lost in thought,” he continued. “What’s on your mind?”

If she told him about Gabriel, he would likely flip out. His attitude regarding Flynn was at best begrudging acceptance. She didn’t think he would take the knowledge of Flynn’s brother blowing into her life like a tornado very well.

“I’m just thinking about today’s lecture. I’ve been discussing the women in history so much, the men in the class feel left out,” she said. 

“Well, that’s their problem,” Wyatt said. She smiled and then looked at the clock on the wall.

“I’ll miss the girls waking up but give them my love,” she said sadly. 

He kissed her briefly. “We’ll be fine.”

##

Lucy parked across the street awaiting Gabriel. She wondered what kind of life he lived. To her knowledge, he was living his life in Paris.  
The knock on her car window startled her. She rolled down her car window. “You.”

“Good morning Dr. Preston,” he greeted. “Shall we go?”

She hesitantly walks by his side as he rings the doorbell. She glances at him and he seems nervous. Before she can ask why, the door opens.

“Dad?” his daughter said surprised.

“Hi sunshine,” he greeted. 

Lucy couldn’t help but smile at the way the girl jumped in her father’s arms. The girl backed away and turned her attention to Lucy.

“Paulina, this is Dr. Lucy Preston-Logan,” Gabriel said. 

“Lucy. Please call me Lucy. It’s nice to meet you,” she said.

“Paulina. Who is at the door?” a woman’s voice called out.

“It’s dad,” she answered. The door opened wider revealing Gabriel’s wife. She looked surprised but in a cautious way. Her eyes went between him and Lucy. 

“Mom, they can’t stand on the doorstep all day,” Paulina said. 

“Christina, may we come in?” Gabriel asked.

“My apologies. Sure,” Christina said making room for them to enter. 

“You have a beautiful home Mrs. Tompkins,” Lucy complimented. 

“Thank you. Paulina, please show, our guest to the living room.” 

Lucy is escorted to the living room while Gabriel and Christina remain in the foyer.

“Chrissy…” he started.

She grabs Gabriel’s hand practically marching to the study. She shuts the door behind her fast. “I don’t see for you nearly a year and now you bring a stranger into my home.”

“She’s not a stranger. Not really. It’s Lucy Preston. Chrissy, I found her. She’s going to help-” 

Christina caresses her temple. “This again. Gabe, I know Garcia’s death was hard on you but this idea that you can bring him back is insane. You act as if time travel is real.”

“It is real. How do you think Garcia learned of its existence in the first place? It’s all because of that woman in the next room. She traveled to 2014 two and a half weeks ago to give Garcia the journal. Everything is on track to stop Rittenhouse. I just need to make sure Garcia doesn’t die this time.”

Christina folds her arms across her body. “Gabriel, listen to yourself. You have spent more time living in the past than the present. It’s affecting our future. You have a daughter who needs you.”

“I know Paulina needs me. I’ve kept in contact with her.”

“Through technology. She needs you to be physically present. You have neglected your responsibilities as a husband and a father.”

Gabriel turned away from her. “That was not my intention Chrissy. I didn’t think you would move to Connecticut though.”

“The only reason I came out here was for Paulina. She needed to be closer to family. I wanted her to have some sense of normalcy.”

They fall into silence as Gabriel shuts down. He turns to the window effectively shielding himself from any further confrontation. Christina sighs as this is his pattern when things get too emotional.

“What do Maria and Asher think of this? Do they even know what you’re doing?”

“They don’t know anything. They don’t even know we’re separated,” Gabriel said softly.

Christina blinked. “Why didn’t you tell them?”

Gabriel faces her again. “My mother loves you. Besides, she doesn’t need to lose two daughters-in-law. It would break her heart if I tell her we’re at odds with each other. And my stepfather, he would tell me to let Garcia go even though he hasn’t. I’m not involving them at all.”

Christina understood the travesty that affected her husband’s family. She saw the change in her husband once he learned of Garcia’s death from the CIA. Gabriel was saddled with guilt. Even though she told him many times there was nothing he could do, he felt he didn’t do enough. Tracking Garcia was difficult and even Gabriel’s contacts were no help. 

Gabriel, through her encouragement, lived in his life always hoping that Garcia would find his way back to them. Everything would return to normal and the Tompkins-Flynn clan could be happy once more.  


“How does Lucy figure into your plan? I doubt she was too keen on you confronting her,” Christina said. 

“I don’t care. She owes my brother. She owes my family for putting him on this trajectory in the first place,” he replied. She notes how quickly his voice hardens. 

“How do you know this Lucy Preston is the Lucy Preston you need?”

“Besides the time traveling aspect, I compared her handwriting to the journal. Well, the journal I memorized.”

“Photographic memory,” Christian reminded herself. 

##

“How long have you known my dad?” Paulina asked.

“We met yesterday,” Lucy answered. “He wanted me to meet him here but I’m not exactly sure why.”

“My dad is weird,” she said. 

Lucy hears footsteps approaching and stands. “Dr. Preston-

“Lucy, mom. She likes to be called Lucy,” Paulina interrupts. Lucy smiles and nods in confirmation.

“Okay. Well, Lucy, I know you and Gabriel have some important matters to discuss. Paulina and I will go into the other room.”

“Actually, I need to see Paulina as well,” Gabriel said gently. His wife’s eyes warned him not get her involved, but he had to. If he knew his daughter well enough, she hadn’t shared her latest project with her mother.

“Okay,” she said and left the room. 

Paulina and Gabriel shared a look Lucy didn’t like. “Gabriel,” she called out. He approached Paulina ignoring Lucy. “Go get your things.”

She headed upstairs. 

“I’m tired of you being so cryptic,” Lucy whispered harshly. 

“I’m tired of a lot of things too,” he shot back. 

“What does that supposed to mean?” she questioned.

“Ready,” Paulina said coming back down faster than expected. “I have to tell mom we’re leaving.”

Paulina goes into the kitchen where Christina is idly fixing tea. “Mom, dad and I are going out.”

Christina stilled her hand to keep from spilling the tea. 

“It’s just for a couple of hours Chrissy,” Gabriel said entering the kitchen to cut off any resistance his wife would give. She turned to face her husband who gave her his best puppy look. She swore she was going to strangle him one day.

“Have fun,” she stated. 

##

Lucy followed Paulina and Gabriel to the hotel he was staying at. On the way there, she received a call from Jiya.

“Jiya, I missed your call,” she said leaving her a voicemail. “I hope everything is okay. Talk to you soon.”

“Welcome to my home,” Gabriel said helping Lucy out of the car. Paulina snorted causing Lucy to smile despite herself.

Gabriel let them go into the hotel room first. “Paulina, I want you to show Lucy your project.”

“Are you sure? It’s still a work in progress.”

Gabriel wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Lucy will understand what it means. I trust her. Your work is safe with her.”

Lucy looked down at the drawings Paulina handed her. “It’s a time machine I created,” Paulina said. “Mom doesn’t know about this. I told dad and he’s going to help build it.”

Lucy’s hands started to shake, and she looked up at Gabriel. “You don’t know what you’re doing. If this were to fall into the wrong hands…”

“Which is why I’m employing you to make sure that doesn’t happen. I already have my people in place. They’re building the prototype. This time machine could rival Connor Mason’s.”

“No way am I taking part in this,” Lucy said in utter disbelief. “Where are you even getting the money from?”

“Think Lucy,” Gabriel said. “I don’t have the technology and resources Connor has but I am receiving help from a friend.”

His friend. Her brother. 

“Then you don’t need me after all,” Lucy admonished. “I am not your dog to lead on a leash.”

“I never said you were, but you owe my family.”

“What do I owe them? I can’t change what happened Gabriel.”

“Because you didn’t want to,” he said raising his voice causing Paulina and Lucy to jump. 

“Dad,” Paulina said softly. He apologized for yelling. “I’m sorry.”

“Paulina, will you give your dad and I a moment?” 

“Go through the adjoining suite,” he said and watched her go.

Lucy stared at the drawings. “Going back to our own timelines is dangerous. We can’t stay longer than a few minutes. Our minds can’t handle it. You can go crazy.”

“It’s the risk I’m willing to take.”

“I’m not. I have a family to consider,” she said. “I only went back to finish the mission.”

Gabriel shook his head in disbelief. “The first and only time Garcia approached me about the journal was right before he stole it.”

“What? That’s impossible. You weren’t-

“I wasn’t what?”

“Alive,” she whispered. “In our timeline, you died in 1969 of anaphylactic shock due to a bee sting. Your mother had no idea you were severely allergic.”

She watched him take seat at the desk as he processed her reveal. “You’re telling me Paulina would not exist.”

“No, she wouldn’t have. Garcia went to 1969 to save you. He knew what it was like to lose a child and he didn’t want Maria to lose you. He said your mother carried a sadness within her after you died. He wanted to save her from grief.”

Lucy saw the emotion in his face and he proceeded to wipe his eyes and sniffed. “Hmm. He saved my life. In the end, she still lost one of her children.”

“Gabriel-

“If he was willing to go through such lengths for someone he never met, how can you expect me to not try everything possible when in my timeline we did meet?” he questioned. 

“In my timeline, Garcia was my first best friend. I protected him like any older brother would do. We went into the army together. We fought wars together. I was there when he met Lorena. I was there when he had Iris. Even though I moved to Paris, we still kept in touch. He was my best man at my wedding.”

“Did he know Paulina?”

“Yes. He visited us in Paris when he could. He was great uncle and being around her made Lorena and Garcia want to start a family. But Paulina was only seven when Lorena and Iris were killed. She doesn’t have many memories of them.”

Gabriel finds his satchel and produces his own journal. “I have a photographic memory. I literally spent numerous days and nights rewriting what you wrote in your journal. As I said, Garcia showed up ranting and raving about a time machine and time travel. He was going to save his girls. I dismissed it as grief talking. I didn’t believe he was actually serious when he said a woman appeared to him in a bar telling him about all things Rittenhouse. Telling him that she needed his help to stop them from hurting anyone else. He could save his family if he followed the journal.”

“I flipped through those pages to appease him but none of it made sense. He asked for my help, but I didn’t take him up on it. I thought his senses would return to him and he would forget about the woman in the bar. He would grieve and let us help him. He would let us clear his name.”

He handed Lucy the reproduced journal. “But there’s no reasoning with a desperate man. Now, time has come full circle and I’m the desperate man in the hot seat. I’m asking you to help me because on some level you care about him. You wouldn’t have stopped me on the parking lot, you wouldn’t have met me at my wife’s home, you wouldn’t have followed me here if you didn’t feel compelled to help. You wouldn’t have just sat here and listened to me.”

“And yes, I believe you owe my family. You are not the cause of his death but you set him on this path. I don’t know if there are multiple timelines. I don’t know if this will even work. I have to try.”

“You are guilt tripping me,” Lucy said.

“Or I’m just allowing you to confront your own guilt. Explain to me how you feel no remorse for what you all have done. You gave hope to a dying man and you left him there to rot.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about. No one told Garcia to become a martyr. He made the decision on his own. No one knew what he was planning,” she refuted. 

“Maybe not. Explain this to me…how could you save one member of your team and not the other?”

Gabriel smirked as her mouth dropped open. “I know more than you think. You saved Rufus but somehow couldn’t figure out a way to save Garcia. I don’t buy it. He wasn’t your friend if you could discard him like trash. He was your puppet.”

His words cut deep like a two-edged sword and he delivered them in such a calm manner as if her feelings were not important. Perhaps, they weren’t. He didn’t care about upsetting her. He had proven that more than once in the last two days. 

“I’m giving you two days to thinks things over and commit to this mission. I will expect your answer by then.” He’s going to completely ignore the fact that she wanted no part of this. Too many things could go wrong.

“Then what? Are you going to kidnap me if I don’t comply?”

“Of course not,” he said rolling his eyes. “I’m not a cruel monster. I’ll simply let your guilty conscience get the best of you and I’ll wait. You will come around.”

“Let’s say I do this, if I have to tell Wyatt and Rufus.”

“Those two are just as bad. I have my own team who will pilot and be the soldier you need.”

“I can’t keep this from them. They’re going to find out,” she relayed.

“I suggest you pick up the family trait and keep this a secret for the time being.”

##

Jiya drove to Lucy’s home and knocked on the door. She needed to see Lucy desperately. She had another vision. Wyatt answered. “Hi,” she said.

“Hi. Come in.”

Jiya barely got into the house before she was plowed into by little bodies. “Girls, be careful.”

“Oh, it’s alright. I love my little munchkins,” Jiya said. She looked at Wyatt. “Is Lucy here? I wanted to talk to her.”

He looked at his watch. “She should have been home by now after her class. Did you call her?”

“I did and she returned my call but she had to leave a voicemail.”

“How about we jump in the car and go to the college. Maybe she got tied up with work.”

“Sure,” she agreed. 

It took them thirty minutes to prepare the twins and soon they were off to the college. Wyatt knocked on Lucy’s office door.

“Dr. Preston isn’t here,” they heard. 

A man greeted them. “I’m Professor Connelly. I covered Dr. Preston’s class today.”

Both of them were stunned at the news. “Did Dr. Preston say why she wasn’t teaching today?” Jiya asked. 

“No, she reached out to faculty last night stating she had some kind of appointment this morning.”

“Thank you, Professor Connelly,” Jiya said. He nodded to Wyatt and Jiya before taking his leave.

“Wyatt,” she said worried. 

“I’m sure there is a reasonable explanation for this,” Wyatt said. 

Jiya had a feeling their lives were about to be uprooted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the purposes of this story, Paulina is 17 in the year 2023. I've face claimed Keanu Reeves as Gabriel. I need a face claim for Paulina's mother. Any thoughts?


	6. Chapter 6

It’s a moment of hard truth for Lucy as she goes into another underground bunker. She had no idea how Gabriel came to find such a dark and abandoned place, but she suspected he combed the earth looking for the perfect spot. 

She felt like she was experiencing deja vu. 

Her presence could be helpful or harmful to the mission. She had no idea how any of this would come to fruition. What was going to be cost? Would the price be another death? 

She lived through one upsetting change and she wasn’t sure if her heart could take another. Her precious daughters could be wiped from existence. She could come back and not know she had daughters. Or she could not come back and her girls would grow up without a mother?

As she walked through the bunker, tears began to well in her eyes. Here she was giving hope to another desperate man. A man who had the ability, the power and the resources to make his family whole and wasn’t going to let an obstacle, especially in the form of Lucy Preston, stand in his way. 

The man had a one track mind. 

However, in the end, she agreed to help. She decided that Gabriel was right about her part in the whole fiasco. For a long time, she refused to acknowledge this journey started with her. She ran from the responsibility. Ran away from the fact that her life would be tied to Garcia's in some form or fashion. In the beginning, it was much easier to think Garcia was the villain of the story but what if the villain was her? Gabriel certainly thought so to a degree. She could not blame his brother for such a state of mind. Shifting the blame to Garcia didn't help matters. 

Although the rational part of her won out the day they surived North Korea, and she decided to move past Rittenhouse, Emma, her parents, the entire organization, saving Amy…a part of her felt disconnected from the world. 

She was an historian missing her soldier and partner in crime. She felt she was missing a part of herself. 

If the positions were reversed, Garcia would move heaven and earth to bring her back. 

Her footsteps alerted three men standing across the room. Each were looking diligently at computer screens or blueprints. They all stopped as one and faced her. She smiled weakly. "I'm here."

A man not too many inches taller than her greeted her warmly. “Hello sis.”

“Ethan?” Lucy asked. She gaped in surprised. She thought Ethan was going to be in the shadows holding Gabriel by a string. 

“In the flesh. I’m glad you could join us,” Ethan said. 

“I came here for Garcia,” she stated.

“To which we are certainly grateful,” Ethan said. “You’re the only historian we trust,” he continued.

Lucy narrowed her eyes looking for something sinister behind the warm reception she was receiving. Her brother only smirked.

“I’m not our father. I actually want you here to be part of the adventure. Lucy, we’re going to make this right. For everyone’s sakes.”

“What does that mean?” she asked.

“It means we’re going to stop Rittenhouse,” Gabriel said aloud from the balcony. He watched the exchange from above with a little envy in his heart.

Lucy turned to her brother. “We’re saving Garcia.”

“Yes and stopping Rittenhouse,” Ethan reiterated. He turned to the other two men. “Lucy, let me introduce you to Marcus, our genius technician and scientist, Kevin, our soldier.”

Marcus, to her, looked relieved and star struck. Kevin looked at her with some distrust. 

Lucy ignored their looks. “How long have you both worked with Ethan?”

“A while,” Gabriel answered coming down the steps. “I found Marcus in Hong Kong thanks to you. Ethan tracked down Kevin.”

“Thanks to me. I’m afraid I don’t understand. How did I help you find Marcus?”

She could tell Gabriel loved lording things over her head. “Do you remember the Watergate? You helped find the Doc.”

Lucy whipped her head so fast she was sure she pulled a muscle. “No way. I-your…”

“Grandmother ran to Hong Kong.”

Times like these, she cursed her journal. “My journal.”

“It pointed me in the right direction but it was not easy,” Gabriel answered never elaborating beyond that point. “And Kevin here defected. 

Ethan waited for his sister to make another connection between her timeline and the one they lived through. He hoped Kevin would be kind to her. 

“How is my brother-in-law, Wyatt?” he asked with disdain. Lucy was too shocked to notice the tone in his voice.

“You’re Jessica’s brother,” she said in disbelief.

“The one and only,” he answered. 

Lucy could only process one shock value announcement at a time. She rounded on Gabriel. “I need to speak with you alone.”

“Gentleman, I’ll be right back.” He was in for another argument as predicted. 

Gabriel led Lucy down a hallway to an office. “How may I help you?”

“What did you do? You, Kevin, Ethan…all of this is insane,” she nearly shouted. “You died! Kevin died over fifteen years ago! Ethan wasn’t supposed to know anything about Rittenhouse. He was supposed to be free from them. Yet-

“We’re all lost souls coming together for a common purpose,” Gabriel interrupted. 

“What does Kevin get out of this?” Lucy questioned.

“His sister,” Gabriel said nonchalantly. “You were once in his position, were you not?”

“That was different,” Lucy defended.

“How so?”

“My sister wasn’t a cold-blooded killer who pretended to love her husband. The woman faked a pregnancy after all. She’s the reason Garcia sacrificed himself in the first place. And now you want to bring her back. No…I’m not joining this team to bring her back,” she said nearly yelling.

Gabriel waited until she calmed down. “Lucy, we all win. Kevin gets Jessica. We get Garcia. Simple.”

“Nothing is simple Gabriel,” she said harshly. “Why are you doing this to me? Are you still punishing me?”

“Punishing you?” Gabriel said incredulously. “Punishing you would take too much effort on my part. My only concern is my brother and our families. Kevin is trying to save Jessica from Rittenhouse and herself. She wasn’t fortunate as you.”

“You will not make me feel sorry for her,” Lucy said. 

“Jealous of a dead woman,” Gabriel poked.

“Shut up,” Lucy flared. 

“I remember the times you stated in the journal that you felt second best to Jessica. You were the fall back person when Wyatt realized Jesscia wasn’t going to be there anymore. You were his crutch to lean on,” Gabriel poked more.

“With Garcia out of the way, with Jessica out of the way...”

“I told you to shut up!” Lucy yelled. He was really getting under her skin.

Gabriel watched her carefully. “Listen, Lucy, either you’re down for the cause or not. Jessica or no Jessica, none of it will matter,” he said. “Kevin wants his family back too and he has every right to see it through. Please put your personal feelings aside.”

“That’s rich coming from you considering your personal feelings is the reason we’re all here.”

“And there’s something else,” he said. “I haven’t been completely honest.”

Lucy breathed deep. “Why am I not surprised?”

“Emma is alive. While you left her in North Korea, she was shot and taken by soldiers. The chick is hard to kill. Her skills as an interpreter saved her. She was a modern-day Joseph in some ways.”

“Please stop talking,” Lucy said. “Emma can’t be alive. It’s-

“You really have to stop thinking things are impossible. You have to admit you and your team are horrible at follow ups,” Gabriel said. 

“Agent Christopher found no trace of her,” Lucy argued. 

“Once again, the follow through is important. You know better,” he said. “If Emma spent ten years in the wilderness, I think she could survive North Korea.”

“What did she do?”

“She created another faction of Rittenhouse. In what’s been five years for us, it has been fifty for her,” he said. 

“Long enough to build from the ashes,” Lucy stated. “Parallel universes.”

“Yes. That's the theory,” he continued. “We can combat it. I believe Rittenhouse can do good with the right moral leadership and Ethan has that. He cannot do it alone.”

Lucy turns her back to him. "Where do I fit into this plan to stop Emma?”

“You kill her,” Gabriel said simply. 

Lucy’s blood ran cold. “I’m not a murderer.”

“Make a man angry enough and see what happens,” Gabriel said.

“No way. I’m not killing her or anyone else. Saving Garcia is the objective. Not killing Emma.”

“Don’t you see that killing her saves Garcia? If we go back to Chinatown…”

“No," she refuted. "Killing Jessica in Chinatown has unknown represcussions."

“We definitely can’t go back to 2014. Garcia will not be in a condition to help anyone,” Gabriel argued. “Going back to Chinatown is the only way.”

“No. We lost Rufus there.”

The argument seemed to have gone in one ear and out the other. Gabriel reached behind him and Lucy saw a notepad of calculations. “According to Paulina’s calculations, a person can spend one week in the past and not lose their mind.”

Lucy grabbed the notepad from him. She really needed Rufus and his genius brain right now. “In theory.”

“The prototype will not be ready until Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas to me. I get to go back to smelly alleyways, guns, beat downs, misogynistic behavior…it’s all so lovely,” she said sarcastically.

“You’ll take Marcus and Kevin with you,” he said. 

“Just one problem. My past self was with Jiya, Rufus, Wyatt and Garcia. How do you suspect I go back and not be seen?”

“We’ll figure that out later,” Gabriel said. “Are you still with us?”

She almost answered yes when a family picture caught her eye. He follows her line of sight to the picture. It was of him, Garcia and his parents. 

“I travel with that picture everywhere I go. Keeps me focus.”

Lucy nods after a few silent moments. “He would do the same for me at a drop of a hat. I’m in.”

“Then we extend the same courtesy,” Gabriel said. “I’ll see you in six months.”

“Six months? You haven’t started-

“Trust me Dr. Preston,” Gabriel said. “Trust that we’ll be quite the team.”

Lucy smiled tightly at the familiar moniker. “Trust does not come easily to the Tompkins-Flynn clan.”

“Depends on who you are trusting. Lucy, remember to keep this a secret.”


	7. Chapter 7

Six months later…

Christmas Eve was a joyous time in the Logan household. Lucy went overboard decorating the house and spending as much time possible with her family. She wanted her girls to have one last Christmas filled with love and laughter in case her world changed. 

She forced herself to push the thoughts of Garcia to the back of her mind. Today, was about what little she had left to call hers.

“Hey Lucy!” she heard. 

She smiled at hearing Rufus yell for her. They were having a Star Wars marathon in her living room and she was sure she was stopping the festivities from continuing. She backed out of the kitchen with a tray of cookies that she didn’t burn. 

“I’m coming,” she yelled back. She set the tray down and settled next to Wyatt, Flynn and Amy.

This had to be a great Christmas.

##

“Merry Christmas Eve grandma,” Paulina greeted. 

Maria hugged her granddaughter tight. “You’re growing up too fast,” she commented. Paulina chuckled.

“While you’re looking younger than me every year,” Christina said coming into the foyer. “How are you Maria,” she continued giving her a hug. “Where’s Asher?”

“Asher is coming. I’m well,” she announced. She looked for her son. “Where’s Gabriel?”

“He’ll be back. He went to the store to pick up a few things. He would not miss his two favorite people in the world,” Christina related. 

“I think we took a backseat to you and Paulina,” Maria countered. “I am more than okay with that. You know, I was surprised to hear you all moved to Connecticut. When I talked to Gabriel a few months ago he didn’t mention anything about staying here. He just said something about attending a guest lecture.”

Christina shrugged her shoulders. “You know Gabe. Sometimes he leaves the important aspects of a conversation out. The mind of an engineer is always going.”

Maria laughed softly. “Yes, I can relate.” She turned to her granddaughter. “I hear we have another generation of engineers,” she said.

“Possibly. Mom and dad think I can hack it in the science world.”

“That’s because she is brilliant,” Christina said and took the moment to kiss her daughter’s temple. 

The women were interrupted by Gabriel and Asher. 

Christina watched Gabriel’s face change when he saw his mother. He was happy to see her, and she knew he missed her. Maria was the anchor in Gabriel’s heart. 

Eventually, Gabriel came over to her and kissed her cheek. “Hi,” he whispered. 

“Hi,” she replied. He took a moment to silently thank her for allowing his parents to stay. 

“Alright, let’s show you to your room,” Christina offered. “Gabriel-

“Already have it,” he said taking the luggage from Asher. “The guest room is the second door on the left.”

It’s late in the evening when Gabriel finds his mother sitting on the back porch. She’s reading a book. 

“What are you reading?”

“I’m reading Dr. Lucy Preston’s book on the women’s rights movement. Thank you for getting this for me,” Maria said.

Of course, she was reading her book. He covered his need to be sarcastic with a smile. “Anything for you.”

Maria folded the top corner of the page holding her place. Once she set it beside her, she turned her full attention to her son. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” he answered. 

“Are you and Chrissy okay?” she questioned. “This whole move to Connecticut doesn’t sit well with me. I know when Chrissy is covering for you. You had no plans to move up here. So why did you?”

Where to begin and what should he tell her, if anything? 

He rubbed his hands on his pants. “I didn’t want to upset you. Chrissy and I were separated for a while. My work got in the way,” he reluctantly admitted.

“And now?”

“We are working on us but don’t stress out about it,” Gabriel stated. “It’s not your problem to worry about.”

“Baby,” she called grabbing his hand. “I want you to be happy. Do you still believe Chrissy is the love of your life?”

The question pulled a smile from him. “Wholeheartedly.”

“You’ve always been a fighter and I believe you will get your family back,” she said. “Follow your heart son.”

He brought Maria’s hands to his lips. “Love you mom. We’ll be fine.”

They sit in companionable silence for a while. “I remember when your father, James, stayed up all night making sure your first Christmas was going to be spectacular. He invited everyone over much to my chagrin because I had to play hostess. But the joy in his eyes as he watched you smile and laugh brought happiness to my heart.”

“Do you still miss him?” Gabriel wondered. His own memories of his biological father were slim.

“I do. I miss his laughter. He could make me laugh and pull a smile from me when I was frustrated or angry. I didn’t think our fairy tale would end in such tragedy, but I got you out of it. I learned to pick myself up and move on. It wasn’t easy.”

“Then came dad.”

“Yes, a surprise. I went overseas to get away and work. I was worried he wouldn’t want someone with a child.”

“You’re beautiful,” Gabriel said. “He would have been a fool to turn you away.”

She chuckled. “In your unbiased opinion. Anyway, I fell in love and you know the rest.”

Gabriel noticed how his mother scooted closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. “My beautiful baby boy, Garcia, grew up to be a man of honor and dignity. I knew the both of you would have each other’s backs. I never worried about him because you were there in case Asher and I couldn’t be.”

He could feel his shirt sleeve getting wet. “It’s no fun realizing that you will go after your child. I just wish I could have said goodbye to him properly instead of receiving a condolence visit from the CIA. I wish I could have one more conversation with him. Then hug and kiss him all over.”

Maria wipes her eyes. “He’s reunited with his girls and at peace. I have to live with that.”

Gabriel felt his eyes sting with tears. “What if you had the ability to bring him back? Would you?”

“In a heartbeat,” Maria said. “If I were smart enough to build a time machine and save him, yes. Those extraordinary things are for science fiction however. One day, I’ll see him again.”

Maria bid good night to her son and went inside the house. He sighed and hung his head in his hands. 

He suddenly felt a pair of hands around his neck. “Are you ok?” Christina asked.

“How long were you watching us?” Gabriel questioned softly. 

She occupied the spot Maria left. “Long enough to know that whatever Maria said has you contemplating this time travel mission.”

His eyes are filled with worry and grief which scares her a little. “You don’t have to go through with this,” she reasoned.

“I’ve put too much time and effort in to give up. I have to bring him back. She said she would do the same if she had the ability to do it herself,” Gabriel stated. “What kind of son would I be if I can’t make her wish a reality?”

“You’re not God. What if you go back in time, take the team with you and still end up losing Garcia? The grief will be even more insurmountable the second time around. Is the risk worth it? What if you die?”

“I already did,” he shot back. He wanted to take it back immediately.

Christina created some distance between them. “What does that mean?”

Gabriel looked to see who was around before turning his attention to his wife. “I’m not supposed to be here. We would have never met. We wouldn’t have Paulina if it wasn’t for Garcia. He went back to 1969 and saved me.”

Confusion was written all over Christina’s face. “I’m not following.”

“I died from anaphylactic shock in 1969 from a-

“Bee sting,” Christina finished. 

He nodded his head in confirmation. “Apparently, my brother, who never met me felt compelled to save our mother from going through a heartbreak at such a young age. According to Lucy, he didn’t want mother to live through the sadness and guilt of losing a child like he did.”

“That’s-

“Selfless,” he continued. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Christina asked.

“I don’t know,” he answered quietly. “I had a hard time processing the news myself. I guess. He never knew me but all my memories of us are special. It’s hard to reconcile the fact that my brother has a different set of memories. What if he thinks I’m a nut?”

“He won’t,” she reassured him. “If anything, he will be happy…confused but happy.”

He quieted down but Christina wouldn’t let him retreat. “I’m still your wife and I’m not going anywhere. Please don’t shut me out. Trust me to handle the emotional baggage with you. You don’t have to protect me from your feelings.”

She continued, “I wasn’t on board and I’m still leery with all of it, but I see the conviction in your eyes. I can’t hinder you if your heart is set.”

“Thank you, Chrissy.”

“You can thank me by coming home.”

##

New Year’s Eve

Kevin and Marcus spend hours upon hours fine tuning the machine. Marcus looked over to Kevin who took a break and was staring at a picture.

“Was that your sister?” he asked.

“Is my sister,” he corrected. “Her name was Jessica.”

Marcus nodded. “Okay. No harm intended.”

Kevin ran his fingers through her hair. “Rittenhouse convinced my family to use stem cell research to save me. The price they paid was control. My parents gave place to a devilish organization. They became our family effectively eschewing us from our real aunts, uncles and cousins. They groomed us to believe in their utopian society, but it was filled with chaos and blood.”

“Where did Jessica fit in?”

“She was groomed to marry another Rittenhouse prodigy. Instead, she fell in love with Wyatt,” he said. “She went rogue. She ran away from them determined to put her family first. Then she was killed twice.”

“Twice?”

“Once by some unknown Rittenhouse agent. They claimed her death was by a serial killer, but it was a cover up. The second time by Garcia Flynn.”

Marcus blinked. “And you agreed to help the brother of the man who killed your sister. Why?”

Kevin rubbed his eyes. “The cycle has to stop somewhere. Do I like the fact that Garcia Flynn felt the need kill my sister to preserve the timeline? No. However, I understand war and he was a soldier. We all make sacrifices for the ones we love.”

“How are you going to save Jessica? Three times coming back from the dead is unusual.”

“Take her kicking and screaming.”

“What about Wyatt?”

“What is he going to do? Kill me. I don’t care what he thinks. My sister is not a priority to him.”

Marcus said, “Do you think Lucy revealed that you were part of this team to her husband?”

“No. A part of me trust Lucy to keep quiet. The other part is nervous that she’ll find a way to screw it up.”

“You reason she’ll stop us from killing Emma.”

“Exactly. Time will tell,” Kevin said. 

##

New Year’s Day

Lucy nearly ran her car off the road when she received the phone call from Gabriel. “Where are you?”

“I’m coming. I have two daughters who kept me delayed,” she shot back. “I needed to say goodbye to them,” she finished quietly.

She was determined to keep the raw emotion out of her voice, but Gabriel detected it anyway. “Be careful on the road. I need my historian.”

He hung up the phone abruptly. 

Thirty minutes later she finds herself face to face with her new team after so many months.

“There’s my lovely sister,” Ethan said. He placed his hands on her shoulders. “Are you ready?”

“I’m ready. I will need clothes,” she said to him. 

“Down the hallway to the left,” Ethan instructed. He walked her to dressing area. 

As they walked she looked at him. They had been conversing through text and email for six months. “Why did you take over Rittenhouse?”

“Why didn’t you?” he questioned. 

“I never wanted it.”

“Neither did I but I couldn’t run from it. You weren’t raised in it. At least your parents let you live normally.”

“Benjamin told you about it.”

“In bits and pieces. Mostly, I overhead conversations between members when they thought I was sleep. I didn’t find out about their real motives until he gave it up for you. He likened us to be the crown prince and princess with the world at our fingertips. It was ours to command at will.”

Lucy stayed silent as he continued. “This organization will stop having children pay for their parents’ and grandparents’ mistakes. I’m tired of having to clean up.”

“I didn’t realize,” Lucy said.

“You didn’t want to realize big sis,” Ethan said. “There are people all over the world who felt the consequences of Rittenhouse’s interference. Tons of nameless faces I’ll never know, and they live with the effects of it until this day. But for the ones like Kevin and Marcus, I can help.”

Ethan pointed towards the door. “Please help yourself. Everything is according to time period and style.” 

She changes her clothes and realizes she will have to take off her wedding ring. She inhales as she takes it off and puts it in her purse. 

Ethan is waiting for her and holds out his arm for her. She snorts and takes it. “Come to see me off.”

“Like any good brother would do,” he said. “Remember the objective.”

“Save Garcia. I haven’t forgotten. It’s all I think about it,” she replied. 

She enters the bay area and the machine looks bigger than the lifeboat. “It’s time folks. See you in a week,” Gabriel said.

Lucy stepped inside the machine and was amazed by the design. “You have six seats.”

Marcus beamed with enthusiasm that it reminded her of Rufus. “Paulina’s designs were amazing. We had to add two more seats. We aren’t leaving anyone behind.”

Lucy wasn’t sure if that comment was a dig at her, but she let it go. “Was this tested?”

“Once,” Marcus said. “I traveled to 1970 for a week,” he said.

Lucy sat in the seat and straddled herself in. “This better work,” Lucy said to Gabriel. 

“It will. Marcus, please do the honors.”

Lucy closed her eyes and waited for the familiar sounds to hum in her ears. 

“Hold on Garcia,” she thought. “I’m coming.”

##

Jiya woke up with a splitting headache and screamed. Rufus was by her side instantly. “Jiya, baby, what’s wrong?”

She grabbed onto Rufus, but her eyes were white. She fell back against the pillows.

“Emma!” Lucy screamed. The cry that followed was terrifying and soon nothing but silence. Lucy dropped the gun and sank to her knees gasping for breath. She was clawing at the dirt in tears. 

Another voice rang out for Lucy. It was Flynn who cradled her. 

A bullet ricocheting and hitting an unknown body. Jessica came into view appearing to shell shocked to move.

“Jiya!” Rufus cried out. 

Her eyes returned to normal and it took her a minute to gather her faculties. 

“Flynn,” she whispered.

“Her daughter,” Rufus said trying to understand.

“No. Our Flynn. None of it makes sense,” Jiya said. 

“What doesn’t make sense?” Rufus asked. “What did you see?”

“Chinatown,” she answered and involuntarily shuddered.


	8. Chapter 8

Lucy is anything but calm as the machine landed. The familiar nausea is back, and she needs to vomit. She scrambles to make it out nearly falling face first on the cold ground. She dry heaves.

She barely registers a pair of hands holding her still. “Gabriel, I’m okay.”

His hands stay in place as she calms down. She eventually stands up and he grabs her arm. “Are you sure?”

“How are you not sick?” she questioned. 

“I have a better stomach for it,” he said searching for a logical explanation. 

She turned to Marcus and Kevin who were nearly as bad as she was. “At least I’m not the only one. Let’s go.”

“Hold on,” Kevin said. “What’s the first step here?”

Lucy looked toward the city. “We found Jiya in a tavern and she was upset that we returned to bring her home. Her visions about Rufus dying was…unfortunately, accurate. Anyway, we all ended up in a shootout with Emma and Jessica. You all know the rest of the story.”

Kevin nodded. “If we happen to find Jessica and Emma before Rufus dies…”

“We go as originally planned,” Lucy said. She turns to Gabriel. “Right?”

“Right. We’re following your lead,” Gabriel said. 

Every part of her body was filled with anxiety and she was sure Gabriel was feeling it as well. She knew nothing but death was ahead of her and wondered what Jiya must have felt those three years she was stranded.

“We go to the tavern,” Lucy said as they made their way into the town limits of Chinatown.

“How do we find Garcia?” Gabriel asked.

“Leave that to me,” Lucy said. “Kevin and Gabriel need to find Emma and Jessica.” 

“We should stay together,” Gabriel countered. She looked at him with a bit of impatience. 

“How exactly am I going to explain all of us and a future me from 2023 to him? No, I do this alone,” Lucy said. “You’ll have to trust me. Some things will have to play out exactly like they did before. I just need the right moment to switch with past me.”

“I don’t like this,” Gabriel said.

“I didn’t ask you to like it. I asked you to trust me,” Lucy said. “It’s time you started.”

Gabriel’s eyes narrowed and she felt a certain satisfaction of putting him in his place. He slowly nodded in a way that reminded her of Garcia. She had his acknowledgment.

Lucy parted from the rest of the group and walked in Chinatown. “You can do this Lucy. Don’t freak out when you see him,” she told herself.

She hid behind a closed building and waited for her past self to show. She breathed deep as she remembered the part of her mother dying, her great grandfather dying and Emma running wild. It was then she wondered if she would ever escape destiny. She thought she could but time was no longer on her side.

##

Jiya banged on Wyatt’s door like a madwoman. Rufus tried to get her to stop but she wasn’t listening. 

“Wyatt!” she yelled. 

He opened the door quickly and she barged in. Wyatt looked at Rufus who appeared to be stuck in a state of disbelief and concern. None of which eased his sense of foreboding.

“Where’s Lucy?” Jiya asked in a near panic.

“She’s out of town,” he answered. “Why?”

“I think,” she began. “I think I had a vision,” she continued. “Of Lucy…in Chinatown.”

Wyatt looked between them like they had three heads. “That’s insane.”

Rufus stepped forward and placed a hand on Wyatt’s shoulder. “Listen, I know this sounds weird. Really weird but Jiya said she saw Flynn.”

Wyatt looked upstairs in a panic. 

“No,” Jiya said calming Wyatt’s fears. “Garcia Flynn. I need to know where Lucy is.”

“I told you she’s out of town,” Wyatt reiterated. “She went to-

“I think we need to call Agent Christopher and Connor. I know something isn’t right,” Jiya said. 

##

Lucy felt her heart rate spike as she saw herself walking behind Wyatt, Rufus and Garcia. Her eyes landed on the tallest figure and she wanted to cry on the spot. She wanted to run and hug him for dear life. She didn’t want to ever let him go. 

“Garcia,” she breathed. The moment she said his name, he stopped and turned to look at her past self. He must have asked if she said something and she shook her head no.

Her heart thundered. Even in distance, he felt her presence. She shrunk back into the shadows until the last possible second. The men stopped to take a break from the walking leaving her to her own devices for a couple of minutes.

She surprisingly snuck up from behind and covered past Lucy’s mouth successfully dragging her away. Lucy calmly hid the body. 

“Lucy, where are you?” she heard. His voice made her start to shake.

She stood up trembling not ready to face him but knew she must. This was already a change in the timeline. 

“I’m here,” she said. 

Garcia’s once imposing figure was a lifeline to her. He noticed her trembling. “Lucy, are you-

“I had to find somewhere…to pee,” she finished. She motioned her dress and gave him her best I hope you understand look.

“Is that all?” he asked concerned and looked as if he didn’t fully believe her. Of course, he would see through her bull. She nodded. 

“And Jiya. I’m worried we-

“Hey,” he said softly. “We’ll save her and Rufus won’t die.”

She inwardly winced at the sentiment. She simply nodded her head with a resolute expression. 

She came upon the tavern and followed the men inside. She quickly spotted Jiya who nearly broke a man’s arm for inappropriately touching her. She smirked at the action.

“Jiya!” Rufus shouted. 

Lucy saw Jiya’s shocked expression. “Rufus!” she cried not truly believing what she seeing before her. Lucy recalled them sharing a kiss before she yelled at all of them for trying to save her. 

Jiya hugged Lucy and Wyatt fiercely afterwards. Lucy wanted to warn her that she was right. They should have listened to her. Rufus would be dead within the hour. Hope lost for a 24 hour period only to be brought back and then lost again.

She wondered how Gabriel was faring. He was probably doing everything possible not to blow this entire mission.

“We need to come up with a plan,” Rufus said.

“No, I’m not leaving,” Jiya argued. 

Lucy looked shocked much to her credit. While the couple continued to argue, she slipped inside the room and waited for Garcia. They were going to finish their conversation.

She slowly counted the seconds as the door creaked opened. Garcia made his way inside and closed the door. “I’m sorry about your mother,” he said.

Lucy realized he was the first person to offer condolences. Everyone else was still fighting for someone. Rufus for Jiya. Wyatt for Jessica. Garcia was hers.

“Do you want to know what my mother said to me before she died? Not that she loved me. Not that she was sorry for erasing Amy. She regretted not indoctrinating me into Rittenhouse sooner,” she said bitterly feeling all the pain and anger again. 

She vaguely recalls what sarcastic remark he said about Wyatt but she snapped at him. She made a move towards the door and she knows he thought she was going to walk out. She continues spilling out words she doesn’t mean until she can sit back down on the bed.

“I don’t give a damn about Wyatt. That’s not why I’m here,” he said. 

The moment she had been waiting for and no one was going to interrupt. “Why are you here?” she asked. His expression seemed startled. 

She can see him struggling for words. “Why are you here Garcia?”

The use of his name from her lips felt right. Whole even. She wanted him to feel safe with her. They couldn’t waste any more time.

He loosened the collar on his shirt and still refused to say anything. She uncrossed her arms and reached for his hands. “I once said you were the easiest person to talk to. I hope I am for you,” she said softly.

“Please hurry Flynn,” she thought.

Garcia’s eyes shift to their hands. “I’m-I’m here to protect you. I am here for you,” he said. “I know you may prefer others-

“I don’t,” she blurted which caused him to smirk. 

“A genius requires the presence of another genius,” he said with a lighter tone in his voice.

“Yes. I do,” she said. “I want you by my side,” she continued. “I will go to the ends of the earth for you as you would for me,” she said.

He doesn’t know what to do with those words. Lucy sees his eyes drift once more to their hands interlocked. “I would do anything for you,” he said. 

The moment is lost when the doorknob rattles. Wyatt calls out her name and she reluctantly moves away from Garcia knowing the job she has to do.

She smiles at Garcia as he gets off his knees. “Are we okay?” Garcia asked. She nodded yes.

Lucy opened the door and Wyatt looks with distrust between them. A look she can’t bare to stomach. 

“Are you ready to do this?” Wyatt asked. “Jiya and Rufus are waiting.”

“So their pow-wow is over. Good,” Garcia said. 

##

Agent Christopher is sitting in the living room listening to Jiya recount her vision with a very tired expression on her face. “Is the first vision you’ve had?” she asked. 

Jiya bit her lip. “My third one.”

“Third?” Rufus questioned. “Why didn’t you say anything?” he demanded. “You could-

“Can we get to the part about Lucy being missing?” Wyatt interrupted.

“Wyatt,” Agent Christopher reprimanded. “We don’t know that she is missing.”

“I know Lucy wouldn’t do anything crazy to jeopardize the team,” Wyatt said.

Denise had her doubts. “Has Lucy acted strange at all since Sao Paulo?”

“No,” Wyatt said resolutely. 

“Nothing at all?” Denise asked. “Have you checked her contacts? Is there anyone new she has encountered?” she questioned. 

“Nobody I’m aware of,” Wyatt said. “What does it matter?” 

“It matters because I saw Flynn and Jessica,” Jiya snapped frustrated. 

“Excuse me? Jessica-what the-

Jiya rubbed her forehead. “I saw Jessica…that vision may have been a fluke. My visions don’t make sense,” she said. 

“But you saw Flynn,” Wyatt said. “And you think my wife went to do what-

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” Denise said. “And we will.”

##

Lucy braces for the next devastating event. She hears the bullet whizz past her head. Garcia was shot in the shoulder. Rufus in the chest and she registers Jiya’s cries.

Her feet have taken off before she could think. She chases Emma through the alleyways knowing she is about to cause a major ripple effect. No North Korea. No Rittenhouse under her brother. No parallel universe. No Emma Whitmore.

Lucy has the gun pressed to Emma’s temple. “Why must you take everyone I love? My mother, Rufus, my sister…when is it enough for you?”

“Lucy, please,” Emma begs. 

Gabriel is depending on her. Kevin, Marcus and Ethan are depending on her. They put their trust in her. 

She feels the gun knocked out of her hand. She feels the blows come fast and hard as she lays on her back. She welcomes the sound of Garcia’s voice. 

“Lucy, it’s okay,” he said laying down the gun. She picks it up and her moment of truth presents itself. 

She fires a missed shot on purpose. She fires a second and a third. She doesn’t miss her target on the third shot.

Garcia blinks as Emma’s cry is cut short from the bullet that pierced her heart. He looks at Lucy who promptly drops the gun. She sinks to her knees crying. Crying because she changed history and saved Garcia. Crying for the future she lost with her girls. Crying because a part of her is now Rittenhouse.

Her nails claw at the dirt as the weight of what she has done springs forth. Garcia gathers her in his arms and puts his forehead to hers. She cries harder. 

She wipes her eyes after she stands up. She cannot go back with the time team. “Garcia, I need you to come with me.”

“We have to take care of Rufus and get Jiya home,” he said solemnly. Lucy nods in understanding. 

“I know. We have to leave him because he won’t have a burial place. I won’t let you have one either. Please trust me.”

Garcia doesn’t understand what she is saying. “We are going to make a great team and that can’t happen with only one of us alive. Emma is dead. She won’t be a problem anymore,” she continued.

“Lucy,” he said weary.

“I know I’m sounding really strange. Please believe me when I tell you that I am here for you too. I’m not letting you go,” she said. “Trust me.”

“You know I do,” Garcia said. She takes his uninjured hand and leads him away from Emma. Away from the rest of the team.

Garcia is smart enough to know that something has changed. Lucy didn’t become that good with a gun. His Lucy wouldn’t leave Rufus, Jiya or Wyatt.

“Who are you?” he asked.

She keeps going towards the Lifeboat not stopping. He pulls back on her forcing her to turn around. 

“You’re not Lucy,” he said. “At least not present Lucy,” he reasoned.

He can see guilt, concern, worry reflected in her eyes. “You said we can’t be a team if one of us is alive. What did you mean by that?”

“I promise I will explain,” she said. “We have to go.”

“Lucy,” he said trying to get her to listen.

“Garcia Flynn,” she admonished. “Not now. We have people waiting on us.”

##

Gabriel and Marcus waited back at the Lifeboat after Kevin said he needed to find Jessica. 

“I should have gone with her,” Gabriel said.

Marcus heard voices. “Shh.”

“Lucy, you’re not making sense,” Garcia said. Lucy stopped when she found herself in front of Gabriel.

Gabriel felt the breath leave his lungs. 

“Garcia,” he said. She found him.

Garcia pushed Lucy behind him. “Who are you?”

“It’s Gabriel,” Lucy said. Garcia couldn’t believe his eyes. He looked at the brother he never met who seemed to know him. 

Gabriel plowed himself into Garcia. “Hey little brother,” Gabriel said. Memory or no memory, he was alive. He looked at Lucy who smiled and there was joy in her eyes. 

He let go of Garcia. “I promise I will explain everything.” 

“You sound like Lucy,” Garcia stated. 

“She’s rubbing off on me,” Gabriel replied. He paused taking a look at him again. “It’s good to have you back.”

“Where’s Kevin?” Lucy asked. “And Jessica?”

Garcia whipped his head around so fast. “Jessica…she’s Rittenhouse.”

“And Kevin’s sister,” Lucy said. “She has to come.”

An argument was about to brew between them but that was cut off when Kevin carried a passed-out Jessica. He was nursing a bleeding arm. 

“What happened?” she asked. 

“Doesn’t matter. Help me,” Kevin said. 

Garcia felt uneasy about the entire thing. “I’m not touching her,” he said. 

“I didn’t ask. I’m asking Gabriel and Marcus,” Kevin bit back. 

Garcia helped Lucy into the time machine. “What is this thing called?” 

“The Warship,” Gabriel said. “We couldn’t think of a cooler name,” Gabriel continued. He turned to Marcus. “Ready for our next stop.”

“Next stop?” Lucy asked. “Gabriel, what are you-

“A week Lucy. We need to follow up this time,” he replied. “North Korea.”

“Gabriel…no!” Lucy said in fear. 

Marcus already piloted the machine and the familiar whirlwind was back.

##

Jiya felt small hands shake her. She had fallen asleep in the guest room and she reluctantly opened her eyes a little until she realized whose hands were shaking her.

“Amy,” she said gratefully. 

The girl giggled when Jiya hugged her. “Where’s your sister?”

“Sleeping. Why are uncle Rufus and uncle Wyatt here?”

Jiya chuckled nervously. “Funny. Uncle Wyatt. That’s-

Amy didn’t seem to understand why Jiya was laughing at all. “Amy, who is daddy?” she whispered.

“Garcia Flynn,” she answered honestly. 

“Oh no,” she thought. “No. No. No.” 

Jiya scrambled out of bed and ushered the little girl to her room. She gasped as she read the names on the wall above the headboards. Amy Lorena Flynn and Emma Iris Flynn.

“Lucy, what did you do?” she thought.


	9. Chapter 9

Jiya quickly scanned the girls’ room for any other changes. This enormous change was nearly too much for her brain to process. Her eyes land on a picture of a pregnant Lucy smiling brightly and next to her was Garcia. Another picture of the twins with just Garcia alone. A picture with Garcia, Lucy, the twins and a family she doesn’t recognize except for one person. Her heart jolts.

She is vaguely aware that Amy is holding her hand. “Ames,” she whispers bending down to meet her eye level. She did not want to disturb Emma. “Who is the other girl in the picture?”

“Auntie Jiya, that’s Lina,” she whispered. “My cousin.” The girl was looking at her like she lost her mind. She was sure feeling like she was.

“Lina what?” she pressed further.

“Lina Tompkins. Uncle Gabe’s daughter,” she answered innocently and the ground seemed to shake under Jiya. She turned her eyes to the picture once more as the pieces clicked into place. 

“Honey, why don’t you go back to bed? It’s still early,” Jiya prodded. The little girl looked the same except the eyes. Those eyes definitely belonged to Garcia. 

After she checked to see that Amy went back to sleep, she slipped out the room with the family picture in hand. How was she going to explain any of this to Wyatt, Rufus and Denise? How was she going to explain that her mind held onto the same memory despite the changes? 

She quickly cleaned herself up and headed downstairs. Rufus and Wyatt were still sleeping on makeshift air mattresses. She woke Rufus up first and she was grateful to know that he didn’t disappear in the present.

“Hey,” he said. She quickly covered his mouth with her hand. He saw fear clear as day and quickly rose. She grabbed his hand dragging him up the stairs. 

“Jiya,” Rufus started. “What happened? What changed? You look terrified.”

“What do you remember?” she asked.

“We are trying to figure out where Lucy went. Denise is helping us,” Rufus said. “Why?”

Jiya peaked her head out into the hallway. No sign of Wyatt yet which was good. She closed the door again. “Because I know what Lucy has been hiding from us. Furthermore, she is going to freak out when she returns home. The twins…they are no longer Logans.”

Rufus tilted his head to the side in confusion. “I think we would know-

“No. I saw Amy and Emma Flynn written all over the walls. There are pictures of them along with Lucy and Flynn smiling and laughing with one another,” Jiya said quickly. She shoved the family photo into Rufus’ chest. “Look.”

“Wait a minute. That’s-that’s the girl-

“The girl who showed you her project at the science center. Guess whose daughter she is? Gabriel Tompkins’ daughter, Garcia’s brother,” Jiya stated. 

Rufus ran his hand over his face. “It’s not hard to guess who approached who in Operation Rescue Garcia Flynn,” he said. He sat on the bed. “Wyatt loves those girls. This is going to break him.”

##

Lucy sat in the Warship with two things running through her head. Her first thought was that she saved her best friend. Her second thought was that she was going to murder her best friend’s brother.

Lucy’s gaze traveled to Garcia who sat patiently looking at her taking away the anger she was feeling. Tears sprang up in her eyes. “I really have you back,” she whispered. “All this time, I didn’t think it was possible.”

Garcia took her hand holding it close as possible. “I want to know what’s happening. We went to save Rufus and now suddenly we are in North Korea. Furthermore, we are with my brother and…”

They look over Jessica who is still oblivious to the world. Lucy tears her eyes away from her. “She was part of the deal for Kevin. I agreed to help him while they helped me and Gabriel.”

“Lucy,” he said grasping what she is trying to say. “We don’t know the effects of this in the present.”

“No, we don’t but I knew if the positions were reversed you’d do the same for me,” Lucy relayed. 

They heard footsteps approaching and Garcia saw the scowl appear on Lucy’s face. “Hey…wait.” She was already out of her seat getting out of the time machine. 

“You,” she said roughly to Gabriel. “Why did you bring us to North Korea?”

“Did you honestly think we were going to spend a week in that death trap?” he questioned. “We accomplished one mission. We still need to make sure Rittenhouse doesn’t succeed in any time period.”

Lucy poked him in the chest. “I killed Emma. She won’t have a chance to lead us on wild goose chase to North Korea. Parallel universe or not, her influence is over.”

“It can’t hurt to be thorough Lucy,” he shot back. “You not following through the first time is how we ended up here. Excuse me for trying to be proactive. We have people to save.”

“We didn’t go to North Korea,” Garcia chimed in. Both Lucy and Gabriel turned and looked at him with pained expressions. 

Gabriel cleared his throat. “They did…you didn’t get a chance to participate in the last hurrah mission,” he said calming down. “Now you can.”

Garcia couldn’t help but be amused as they tried so desperately to make this seem normal. “Can I have a word with my brother?”

##

Jiya sat next to Rufus in the living room holding his hand tighter than she should have. “Wyatt, did you hear me?”

Wyatt sat across from the couple slightly numb. “They’re my daughters.”

Jiya’s sincere sadness hit him like a ton of bricks. “Wyatt…I know this is hard to hear but I’m telling you the truth. I believe Lucy is with Flynn’s brother to bring him back and she unknowingly changed the family. I’m so sorry Wyatt.”

“You don’t know that,” Wyatt said unconvincingly. 

“I’m 50% sure that Gabriel found help. He found the resources to build upon his daughter’s designs and he found Lucy. For some reason, she agreed to help Gabriel.”

Wyatt rubs his eyes. “He still wins after all this time. Even from the grave, he haunts me. I don’t care if he comes back through that door, they’re mine. I raised them.”

Rufus cleared his throat. “Technically, Garcia did. I don’t know why we don’t have different memories. Maybe it’s because our Lucy carried out Chinatown instead of original Lucy. 2023 Lucy interacted with the past with an entire new team possibly. Maybe the memory debacle is due to-

“My wife has been in love with a dead man. Our entire marriage has been a lie. She never loved me. I was her fallback guy,” Wyatt sneered. 

“No,” Jiya refuted. “Lucy loves you. She is in love with you,” she encouraged. 

Wyatt inhaled deeply. “You said you had a vision of Jessica. What did you see?” he questioned. He picked up on her hesitancy as she refused to look him in the eyes. 

“What did you see?” he asked more forcefully. 

“I saw someone telling her to trust him. She was free,” she answered quietly. 

“Free? Free from what Jiya?”

“A prison cell,” she answered. 

He leaned back against the couch. “This is not happening. This can’t be happening to us,” he said. He couldn't sit still and wait for whatever chaos that was bound to drop on his doorstep. “Jiya, stay here with the girls.”

“What are you going to do?” Rufus asked.

“I’m going to find Gabriel’s wife. I have a feeling his spouse was not kept in the dark,” he said bitterly. He left without another word. 

##

Garcia couldn’t find the right words at first. Here he stood before his older brother and he didn’t know the first thing about him except he looked like their mother.

“I know this is difficult,” Gabriel started out. “I mean you never met me but I know you. My first best friend,” he continued. “My little brother. I promised to be there for you but I wasn’t there when you needed me the most. I’m sorry. I wanted to correct my mistake. It’s what I’m trying to do now.”

Garcia stands there in silence processing his words. “You mean Lorena and Iris.”

He nods yes. “I should have been there. They were my family and I failed all of you. I failed you when I didn’t believe you about the journal. I failed you when I learned of your death,” he continued.

Garcia inhaled sharply. “How long has it been Gabriel?” 

Gabriel wasn’t sure if the news would sound better coming from him or Lucy. “Maybe Lucy-

“No. I want to hear it from you,” Garcia said. “How long has it been?”

“Five years,” he said quietly. “Five long years.”

Garcia’s legs buckled from underneath him. Gabriel hurried to help him off the ground but the man was unmovable. He seemed to be in a trance.

Garcia did not succeed in stopping Rittenhouse. He only managed to bring more devastation and pain to the team and to his family. He didn’t deserve their devotion and sacrifice. 

“Why? You should have moved on,” Garcia said. 

Gabriel clasped the back of Garcia’s neck. “I was told that you saved me in 1969 to spare mother the pain of losing a child. I wanted to spare her the pain of having to lose you. I tried to move on. I tried to live my life but that all changed when Lucy and her team went back to 2014.”

“The journal,” Garcia said realizing the future bared itself out.

“Yes. I found Lucy and I compelled her to save you.”

Garcia blinked. What did that mean? 

“Compelled?” he repeated. “How did you compel her to join this mission?”

“I reminded her that she owed our family,” Gabriel said with conviction. Garcia shook his head. 

“You shouldn’t have done that,” Garcia said. “She doesn’t owe us anything.”

“I beg to differ. You shouldn’t have sacrificed your life for her and she left you to rot,” Gabriel said raising his voice.

“Enough. You don’t know Lucy,” Garcia refuted. 

“I know that you turned yourself into a martyr to save Rufus and they didn’t go back for you. You may have wanted Lucy to live her life happily but it doesn’t negate that we…me, mom, Asher, Christina, Paulina…all of us wanted you home.”

Garcia doesn’t know what to feel or think. “So what was the plan once you saved me?”

“Take you to mother’s where you will be under her watchful care,” Gabriel said jokingly. Garcia snorted. “Seriously, the next step was to somehow save Lorena and Iris.”

He can feel tears well in his eyes. “I once told Lucy that I would walk away from them. I’m not the man they knew. I became a monster in their names.”

“We can get them back,” Gabriel assured. "They wouldn't care."

“I would care. How many trips to past are we going to take? There’s no telling what we’ve done in the present…at least your present timeline. Please, don’t give me assurances. I couldn’t bear it if Rittenhouse changed Lorena to be a pawn like Jessica.”

Gabriel nodded. “Are you sure?”

“No but I can only go through one time travel crisis at a time,” he replied. Garcia let out a shaky breath and with Gabriel’s help stood up. 

Garcia looked around at all the snow. “North Korea…a place I never intended to travel to.”

“Neither did I,” Gabriel said. “Once this is over we can go home.”

As the brothers walked back to the rest of the group Garcia asked, “How are my parents?”

“Good. They’re okay. They make it one day at a time,” he answered. “I just hope we don’t give mom a heart attack when she sees you.”

“I don’t know if seeing me is a good idea. How are you going to explain this?”

“In a scientific manner,” Gabriel said half-jokingly. “She is going to freak out on me but the joy on her face will be worth it.”

##

Wyatt knocked on the front door a little too hard. The door opened to reveal a petite sized woman. 

“May I help you?”

“I’m looking for Gabriel Tompkins,” he said working really hard to keep the anger out of his voice.

The woman closed the door behind her. “He’s my husband. Who are you?”

“Wyatt Logan. I believe you may know where your husband and my wife are,” he stated. 

Christina sighed knowingly. “Mr. Logan, please come inside.”


	10. Chapter 10

Christina closed the door behind her quietly. She knew this meeting was bound to happen. She knew they weren't going to be able to keep this a secret for long. She wondered what damaged was caused. Judging by Wyatt’s looks, clearly something had gone terribly wrong.

“Mr. Logan, please have a seat in the living room,” she said escorting him. He doesn’t sit. 

“Do you and your husband make it your life’s mission to ruin people’s lives?” he sneered. "Do you have any idea the damage you caused?"

She stuffs down the retort threatening to pass her lips. “Excuse me.”

“Your husband forced my wife to save Flynn and now he’s screwed up my life,” Wyatt yelled. “I was fine. We completed the mission. Flynn chose to die! But that wasn’t good enough for any of you. Now, my daughters are gone.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means my daughters Amy and Flynn no longer exist. I have two girls whose names are Amy and Emma Flynn. They believe I’m their uncle. You need to fix this. Tell me where they are!” he said yelling.

She jumps at the slight inflection. “I’m sorry about your daughters. I’m sure Gabriel never meant for that to happen. He just wanted-

“I know what he wanted. He didn’t care about the risk…the cost. He didn’t care how everyone’s life was going to be affected. As long as he got what he wanted in the end. That seems to be a common trait in this family. Screw everyone else and trample over anybody else who gets in the way,” he said. 

Christina inhales sharply. “I don’t know where they are. I know they will be back before the end of the week.”

“Not good enough. Do you realize going back to their own timelines can kill them? They need to come back now.”

“I know and I also know that you wife was willing to go anyway. I don’t know where they are but I can ask for help.”

She dials Ethan’s number in front of him. “Who are you calling?”

“Ethan Cahill.”

“You have got to be kidding me,” he muttered.

##

Lucy was ready to go home. They neutralized the threat and Emma’s influence was officially over much to Gabriel’s satisfaction. 

Now she had to contend with Jessica who didn’t like the fact that she was with them at all. Lucy kept her distance from her until she couldn’t any longer. She noticed Jessica was hunched over on the ground.

“Are you alright?” Lucy asked.

“Why do you care? You haven’t said two words to me all week,” she replied.

“Can you blame me? You’re Rittenhouse. You just tried to kill us not to long ago,” Lucy said. 

Jessica sat up. “Occupational hazard. It’s not like I wanted to. We are in a war or we were before you decided to mess things up.”

Lucy bristled. “Excuse me for not wanting to get caught up in Rittenhouse’s version of utopia. Unlike you.”

Jessica looked at her. “You think I had a choice. They saved my brother and in turn became family. I explained this to Wyatt.”

“What?” Lucy asked. “You explained what to Wyatt?”

“He begged me to come home with him. He said that we are a family,” Jessica said. 

“When did he say this you?” she questioned. 

“In Chinatown. He asked me if I was really pregnant and I said yes.”

Lucy closed her eyes. “You rejected his offer and then he told me that he loved me hours later,” she thought in disbelief. 

“Jessica, are you-

“Yes, I wouldn’t lie about something like this,” she said a little miffed. 

Lucy felt a headache coming on. The future Wyatt said it was a lie. What was to be believed now?

“And then there is you,” Jessica continued breaking Lucy out of her thoughts. “I can clearly see you’re in love with him. Another reason why I don’t want to be second choice baby or no baby. 

“How much did Kevin tell you?” Lucy asked.

“Enough to make my head spin. My Kevin is from the future and so are you.”

“And what else?” she questioned.

“He saved me from tragedy whatever that means,” she answered. “And no, don’t tell me now. I can’t handle any more surprises.”

Jessica feels another wave of nausea. Lucy winces at she sees the familiar exhaustion on the woman’s face. “Listen, you have to make it for this baby,” she said changing the subject. 

“Does time travel mess with a fetus?” she asked. “I didn’t plan on taking this long traveling around the globe.”

“Let’s hope not,” Lucy said. 

Jessica nods her head. She looks at Lucy with a somewhat remoreseful expression. “I’m sorry about Carol. She was-

“Diabolical,” Lucy said. 

“Complicated. I admired her strength. Her love for you. She wanted you to take charge.”

Lucy snorted. “Then you know she deliberately erased my sister from the timeline. She didn’t love me. She controlled me. She wanted the preferred daughter who could continue her legacy.”

Jessica got quiet. “But-

“Jessica, they twisted you. Used you. Do you think they wouldn’t take your baby and mold it to be an obedient soldier? I hate what you did to the team. I hate that you kidnapped Jiya. We trusted you.”

“I know,” she said. “I’m sorry for hurting you.”

“You can make amends by raising your child outside of Rittenhouse. If you want, we can help you,” Lucy said slowly. 

“We?”

“My brother and I,” Lucy offered. “We can make sure you live your life but you have to want it. We didn’t go through all this for you to give into them. You have a decision to make and I hope you make the right one.”

“Why are you helping me?”

“Every child should not have to bear the sins of the generation before,” she said. 

“Ladies, are we ready to go?” Gabriel asked breaking the women from any further conversation.

“Let’s get out of this death trap,” Jessica said. 

“I agree,” Lucy said. 

##

The Warship landed inside the bunker. “January 7, 2023,” Gabriel announced. “A successful mission for the books.”

“Let’s see what we’ve done,” Marcus said. He’s the first one out of the machine only to be met by pairs of eyes he didn’t recognize.

“Gabriel, you might want to come out here,” Marcus said. He does and his met by his wife.

Christina is there with Ethan. “Chrissy, what are you doing here? Did something happen to Paulina?”

She shakes her head no and Gabriel’s heart stops beating fast. 

“Chrissy, we brought him back,” Gabriel said. 

Gabriel sees Garcia and Lucy followed by Kevin and Jessica step out of the time machine. Christina can’t help but be amazed at what she sees before her.

“Garcia,” she whispers. She steps to him almost afraid to touch him. “I can’t believe you are here.”

“Neither can I actually,” he said. “I take it you know me too.”

“Yes, I do,” she said. “We loved to gang up on this one,” she said pointing at her husband. She looked over at Lucy.

“Lucy-

“Let’s give them some breathing room,” Ethan said cutting off Christina. He would have to be the one to break the news to her. He approaches her giving her a hug.

“Well done big sister,” he said. 

“Did something change?” she asked wanting to know. 

Ethan didn’t answer fast enough for her. “Ethan, did I lose my daughters?” she asked her voice wavering. 

“Daughters?” Jessica asked. 

Garcia put his hand on Lucy’s back prepared to catch her. 

“No. They’re fine.”

Lucy breathed a sigh of relief. Then, she punched Ethan in the arm. “Don’t do that to me.”

“How old are your daughters?” Jessica asked Lucy. She looked to Kevin who was shuffling his feet.

“I see,” Jessica said. “I should have known.”

Lucy winced. “I didn’t know how to tell you,” she started. 

“You don’t owe me anything,” Jessica said. She looked to her brother. “Where do I go to change out of these clothes?”

“Follow me,” Kevin said. 

Garcia’s hand fall from her back. She turns to look at him and now he is avoiding her gaze. 

“I should go change too,” Lucy said leaving the men and Christina. 

Ethan is waiting for Lucy. “Are you okay?” he asked. 

“Better now that my girls are alive.”

“Listen, something did happen while you were away,” Ethan admitted. 

“What?” she responded nervously.

“You and Garcia…have twin daughters,” he replied slowly. She blinked not completely processing the news.

“What? How?”

“I don’t know. Christina told us after she was confronted by Wyatt,” he cautioned. 

Lucy stumbled into the wall. “This…Amy and Flynn,” she said voice cracking. Ethan grabbed her arm to steady her.

“I’m sorry Lucy.”

She started to cry. “I knew but I didn’t want to think…I hoped…I’m no better than my mother.”

They heard footsteps and looked up to see Garcia who had pain in his own eyes. Lucy figured he must have been told.

“Will you give us a minute?” he asked Ethan. Ethan looked to Lucy for permission before leaving her with Flynn. She silently told him that she was okay to be left alone with him.

“Lucy,” he started and she plowed into his chest. Tears soaked his shirt and he wrapped his arms around her securing her.

“They’re gone,” she repeated over and over again. 

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “I can go back. I’ll do whatever I did and we’ll get your girls back.”

She took a step back. “No, I’m not losing you too…not again. I need a minute to think.” She wiped tears from her eyes. “I don’t even know their names.”

“Amy Lorena Flynn and Emma Iris Flynn,” he said softly. She took in the news as best she could. She separated herself from Garcia further and slid down the wall. 

She motioned for him to sit next to her. “How am I going to explain this Wyatt? I didn’t mean for this to blow up. He is going to hate me and he should.”

“No. I’ll take the hate. I’m used to it,” Garcia said. “He can never hate you,” he said. 

She turned to him threading her fingers through his. “What are we going to do?”

He didn’t have a proper answer for her. He had too many emotions coursing through him. 

“I don’t know Lucy. I honestly don’t know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't like the fact that the writers had Jessica lie about being pregnant in the Christmas movie. While Jessica had her faults, I feel she had a strong sense of family and she was caught in the middle Wyatt and Rittenhouse pre-Christmas movie. I made her pregnant for this story. The fallout will continue.


	11. Chapter 11

Garcia begged Lucy to let him go with her to face Wyatt, but she insisted she go at this alone. It was her mess to explain and clean up as best she could. He didn’t like it, but he knew better than to argue with her. Instead, he went with Gabriel and Christina who both had sympathetic looks on their faces.

As he sat in the passenger seat of Gabriel’s car, the reality of the world he was brought into, came suddenly. How was he going to carry on a relationship with a brother he just met? What was he going to say to his parents when they laid eyes on him? What would his future with Lucy and their family look like? Would there even be a future with her? How was he going to parent two daughters?

“We’re here,” Gabriel announced. “Home sweet home.”

##

Lucy walked into a dark and empty house. There was a cold feeling that came over as she continued to make her trek throughout the once happy home. She knew there was no coming back from this adventure. The life she had months ago had now evaporated. 

She slowly climbed the steps halfway dreading what she was going to find in the girls’ room. She opened the door and gasped. Seeing the names of her now daughters hit her like a ton of bricks. 

No more Amy and Flynn Logan. She walked over to the names nailed In the walls and ran her fingers over them. 

“I’m so sorry,” she breathed bordering on near hysterics. “Mama is so sorry.” 

She heard the door unlock sometime later and started to make her way downstairs. Wyatt’s footsteps echoed in her ears loudly. 

She stopped at the bottom of the stairs locking eyes with a man whose eyes held so much resentment. She inherently flinched.

“Wyatt-

“They are my daughters,” he said harshly. 

“Wyatt, I can explain. I had to help-

“Gabriel Tompkins. Yes, I know. You decided to make a major life change not caring about the consequences,” he said his voice rising with every word.

Lucy shook her head vehemently in disagreement. “I thought about my family. I didn’t want to go with Gabriel but Garcia needed to be saved.”

“You chose him over us,” Wyatt said incredulously. “You destroyed our family, our marriage, our life for a dead man. A dead man who chose to die.”

“I chose to save a member of this team,” Lucy refuted. “I left him five years ago and I shouldn’t have. I started this whole saga and he only did what I told him to. He didn’t deserve to die.”

“You’re feeling guilty,” Wyatt surmised. “Flynn was responsible for his own choices. You are not responsible for him.”

“Maybe not but he’s my best friend. He would do the same for me.”

Wyatt looked at her in disbelief. “Best friend? What was I…a placeholder until you saw Flynn again?”

“Don’t talk like that,” Lucy said hurt. “You weren’t a placeholder.”

“Hard to tell by me. You didn’t trust me with this mission. You kept me in the dark. If it wasn’t for Jiya telling me about her visions, I wasn’t going to find out until he showed up on our doorstep.”

“I knew you wouldn’t like that I was helping Gabriel. He just wanted his brother back. Surely you can understand that. Look at the lengths you went through to bring back Jessica. Where is your compassion?”

“Compassion? I lost my girls because you decided to play God!”

Lucy took a step onto the foyer. “What is the point of having a time machine if we can’t save the people we love?”

“I knew it,” Wyatt said coldly. “You were in love with him. Admit that I was your crutch because you knew Flynn was dead.”

“I was your crutch Wyatt,” she snapped. “You told Jessica to come home and raise a family with you hours before you said you loved me. You used Rufus as an excuse to confess your feelings once Jessica chose Rittenhouse.”

“Where are you-

“Stop. Jessica told me in North Korea,” Lucy replied. “We brought her back and she’s pregnant. Future Wyatt lied about her faking her pregnancy.”

Wyatt stood there stunned. “Impossible.”

“No it isn’t. She was part of the deal. I bring back Garcia for Gabriel, Maria, and Asher. Kevin, her brother, saves Jessica.”

“Leave it to another Flynn to ruin my life.”

##

Maria and Asher drive to Gabriel’s house as quickly as possible. Maria’s leg is shaking. A nervous habit she developed when stressed. Her son sounded different. She just knew she needed to get to his house.

“Maria, I’m sure whatever it is, Gabriel is fine.”

Asher kept his eyes on the road but he could feel his wife’s worry. He prayed nothing was wrong with his son. He wasn’t sure if either of them could survive another heartbreak.

“Perhaps, you are right and I’m being paranoid.”

When they pull into the driveway, Gabriel is there to greet them. Maria rushes out of the vehicle. “Gabe, what’s wrong?” she asked squeezing the breath out of him.

“Mom, nothing.” He glances at Asher who has more frown lines coming across his face with every second that passes. 

“Please come inside.”

Gabriel sits leads them to the kitchen table. “Mom, dad…I need to tell you what I’ve been up to.”

Maria and Asher signal for him to continue. “I’ve been working with Lucy Preston on a special project.”

“Special project?” Asher inquired.

“Is that what brought you to Connecticut? So you lied,” Maria said sternly.

Gabriel looked at his mother sheepishly. “I’m sorry but I had to keep it top secret. I couldn’t risk you finding out. Mother, Lucy worked for the government to stop a terrorist organization and Garcia helped her. Garcia died trying to stop this organization and it felt wrong.”

“Gabriel, where is this going?” Asher asked.  
“Paulina created the designs for a time machine like Connor Mason had. I had a team, used resources and with Lucy’s help….brought Garcia home.”

Maria’s heart seemed to momentarily stop. She slowly rose to her feet. “Time travel…it isn’t…he can’t be here.”

“But he is mom. My team saved him and he’s waiting to see both of you,” he said gently. 

“This is insane Gabe,” Asher started. “None of it makes sense.”

“Asher,” Maria said quietly as she saw the figure over Gabriel’s shoulder. Asher followed Maria’s line of sight to see Garcia standing there. 

“Hi mom. Hi dad,” he said softly. 

Maria’s eyes traveled to Gabriel’s eyes whose own were filling with tears. His slight nod confirmed that he was telling her the truth. Maria slowly took a step towards Garcia. Her hands slowly worked their way to his chest, his neck, his face.

“My son,” she whispered and pulled him into a hug. He could feel the tears on his neck.

“Ovdje sam majko. Stvarno sam ja,” Garcia said softly. She cried harder in his arms. 

She let go of him but never taking his eyes off him. “Asher, do you see this?”

Asher approached his son not quite understanding what was happening. “Garcia, moj djecak.”

“Da tata. Lijepo vas je vidjeti.”

Gabriel looked on at the reunion in complete bliss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ovdje sam majko. Stvarno sam ja. - I'm here mother. It's really me.  
> moj djecak- My boy.  
> Da tata. Lijepo vas je vidjeti.- Yes, dad. It's good to see you.


	12. Chapter 12

Maria could not keep herself from fussing over Garcia. She practically watched him with a hawkish glare. She barely let the man breathe and her husband had to try his hardest to usher Maria away from him.

She was particularly fussing over him because he was going to visit his daughters for the first time. It had been three weeks since his return and he kept putting it off. She recalled his numerous explanations as he tried to convince her it was for Lucy’s sake. He didn’t want to overwhelm her. 

“Garcia, we can come with you,” Maria said as she watched him get ready.

“Mother, for the last time, I’ll be fine. We’ll be fine,” he reassured but Maria wasn’t buying his bravado.

“Sweetheart, I know the situation is weird. You have daughters and you don’t know how they’re going to react to you. It’s okay to be nervous.”

Garcia gave his mother a lopsided grin to which she rolled her eyes at. “Cia, I’m serious.”

“Mother-

“Is the hesitation because of Lorena and Iris?” she questioned. 

He paused and blinked. He was not prepared for the direct hit to his chest. “No…not really,” he began. “Maybe…I don’t know. I mean there won’t be a day that goes by that I won’t think about them. This new dynamic isn’t what I pictured. I wanted Lorena and Iris back for so long and now, I have a new family. One that just materialized out of thin air, and I have no idea how to be a father again.”

Maria nodded as he spoke. “We’ll go with you,” she said her tone definite. This was not a matter of discussion any longer.

“Mother-

“No. We’re going. We’ll be out in the car. I promise. You need your family around to support you,” she stated. “Listen, I’m sure the reunion is going to be splendid. Things will turn out the way they’re supposed to.”

“I hope so,” Garcia. 

Maria hugged her son. “I’ll get the others.”

##

Lucy made sure her house was spotless. It was the only thing she could control. Her life completely flipped and there was no sign of it stopping.

Wyatt moved out and stayed with Rufus and Jiya. He refused to speak to her about anything. Jiya was the go-between now. Her conversations with Garcia were brief and once the girls learned he was in town, they asked her when he was coming home. 

Lucy didn’t know what home was supposed to look like now. The photographs of a happier times of a family she didn’t recognize made her feel lost. Amy and Flynn Logan would only remain a memory.

She was grieving while a new set of twins needed her as their mother. The world for them had not stopped.

Emma and Amy were not oblivious to her internal turmoil. She would shed silent tears as they made breakfast or when she put them to bed. They tried in their own cute ways to comfort her. Emma gave her extra hugs while Amy drew funny pictures and posted them on Lucy’s bedroom door every morning. Lucy was grateful for them. She found herself opening her heart and letting them in. 

Now, Lucy saw a car pull on the other side of the street. Her throat seemed to close when Garcia got out of the vehicle. He looked nervous. She could imagine what this moment would be like for him. 

They were all starting over.

She noticed Gabriel in the car and her eyes narrowed. She still had trust issues with him. What was he doing with Garcia?

The doorbell rang, and she quickly answered it. 

Garcia smiled at her and she could feel her face splitting in half. His physical presence made her smile. “Hi,” she said.

“Hi,” he said. “I didn’t know what to get them honestly. I didn’t want to bother you. I called Jiya,” he finished as he held up the gift bags. “I got them stuffed unicorns.”

“Oh Garcia, that’s very sweet of you,” Lucy said. 

“No Flynn?”

Lucy blinked. “What?”

“You usually call me Flynn. You only used my first name in Chinatown. I wasn’t sure if you-if you would again, he said.

Lucy fought to damper the tug in her chest. 

“I think we are on a first name basis now,” she said with a light tone. “Come in, please.”

Garcia admires the home as Lucy closes the door. “Let me take your jacket,” Lucy offered. “And the bags.”

“Lucy, about Amy and Emma…do they know who I am?”

“They do. They think you’ve been on a scavenger hunt with Uncle Gabriel,” Lucy responded. “Apparently, that’s our code for government work and Gabriel is always traveling with daddy.”

Garcia couldn’t help the slight chuckle that emerged. “Where are they?”

“Upstairs. I’ll be back.”

He could hear soft and excited voices echoing upstairs. His heart, he was sure, would explode at the mere sight of them.

The minute his girls laid eyes on him, they both took off from Lucy and ran straight to him. He caught them effortlessly as they threatened to push him over. 

His eyes connected with Lucy’s as she had welled tears in her eyes. He felt his own eyes mist.

“Daddy, why are you crying?” Emma asked. 

“Emma,” Lucy started giving Garcia a chance to catch his breath and to make sure he knew which daughter he talking to. “Daddy is just excited to come home and see you.” 

“Are you done with your scavenger hunt with Uncle Gabriel?” Amy questioned. 

“Yes, I’m done,” he answered. “And I got you both something.”

Lucy watched as the girls shrieked with happiness. 

Emma climbed on the couch and looked out the window. “That’s Uncle Gabriel’s car. Is Lina here?”

Garcia rubbed the back of his neck and looked at Lucy. “Yeah, it is. Lina is in the car too.”

“She is?” Lucy asked. 

“The whole family insisted they come,” Garcia said shyly. “They promised to wait in the car,” he whispered to her. 

“Family support.” He nodded in confirmation. “Let them in.”

“I don’t want to-

“Stop. They’re my family too. At least I hope they’ll be receptive.”

“They will be,” Garcia assured. He turned to Emma and Amy. “I’m going to get your cousin.”

##

Maria saw him exit the house looking cheerful. “Thank God it wasn’t a disaster,” she said.

“I told you Maria,” Asher said. “We didn’t need to come after all.”

“Shh, here he comes,” Gabriel chimed in and let down the window.

“Hey bro. Do you need backup?” 

“Come inside. All of you,” Garcia stated. “The girls want to see Lina.”

Paulina was the first one to enter the house. “Hi aunt Lucy.”

“Hi Lina,” she said. 

Lucy’s eyes traveled to Maria and Asher and then solely on Maria. She wasn’t sure if she was going to get a hug or face her ire.

Maria went to Lucy and pulled her into a hug. “Thank you for bringing my baby home.” 

##

Jessica was expecting him to show sooner or later. The annoyed and disgusted look on his brother’s face as he looked out the peephole confirmed it.

“Kevin, please behave. He’s just here to talk about the baby.”

“Jess, if anything funny happens...

“I’ll take care of it. Please open the door.”

Wyatt stands before her not knowing what to think or say. All he can do is focus on the small baby bump forming. 

“Wyatt, I know where I stand with you. I’m not going to ask you for anything. You don’t have to be part of this child’s life. You and Lucy-

“Are over,” he interrupted. “She has her family with Flynn now.”

Jessica remains silent for a beat. “I’m sure you and Lucy will work things out.”

Wyatt sat on the couch. “Lucy fought for Garcia in the same way I fought for you. We both broke the rules for the people we loved. When you didn’t come back with me after Chinatown, I was devastated. You chose Rittenhouse over us. I jumped head first into a relationship before completely dealing with that rejection. I pushed it away. Ignored it. I focused on Future Wyatt’s lies about your faking the pregnancy. I shut the door and never looked back.”

“But you fought for Lucy. You built a family with her. A life,” Jessica said. “I made my choice and losing you was the price I paid for the good of Rittenhouse. I don’t have unrealistic expectations of what the future holds for us.”

“Neither do I. I want to be a father to our baby. At least we can co-parent. What do you say?”

Jessica rubbed her stomach. “I’m in. It’s time I start living outside of Rittenhouse’s shadow.”


	13. Chapter 13

Garcia was hesitant about Lucy’s meeting with Jessica. “Are you sure this a good idea?”

Lucy continued to put on her coat and then approached him. “I promised to help her in North Korea. Ethan and I are going to ensure that she and the baby are safe. The least we can do is set this family free.”

“What about Wyatt?” he asked. “He was having a hard time dealing with Emma and Amy…being-

“Yours,” Lucy finished. “I know but we worked it out, didn’t we?”

Lucy tries not to think about the countless arguments that ensued over the girls once Wyatt began to speak to her again. She felt horrible that she caused him pain. She tried to apologize for her actions, but he wasn’t hearing it until Garcia stepped in.

Garcia was going to fall on his sword for them. He would disappear and live in a remote area. The girls were still young and over time, they would forget about him. Wyatt would continue to parent them. Garcia would live with the knowledge that he was able to be a father again.

Of course, all that did was create tension between him and Lucy. She vehemently disagreed and called his plan stupid and she would not let her children grow up without knowing their father. No matter the timeline. No matter the circumstance.

Lucy blinks out of those thoughts. “It’s time I held up to my end of the bargain. Now, are you sure you’re up for twin duty?”

Garcia briefly glanced towards the living room where is girls are content on coloring. “I’ll be fine. Don’t you trust me?”

She kissed his cheek longer than necessary. “I trust you.”

“And my mother is coming with Christina and Paulina,” he finished. She chuckled. 

“Garcia, do you need back up?” she asked in a teasing manner. “They’re five.”

“And they’re half me and God knows I was a handful at that age. This is payback according to my mother” he said sheepishly. 

“Well, it’s going to be fine. Don’t worry,” Lucy encouraged. 

Garcia grabbed Lucy’s hand and brought it to his chest. “Do you need back up with Jessica?”

“I have Ethan. We won’t be long.”

##

Ethan looks at his watch for the third time. “Where is she?”

“She’s coming,” Lucy reiterated. 

Ethan keeps gazing at the restaurant entrance every time the doorbell chimes. 

“You have to relax,” Lucy said. “What’s up with you?”

Ethan ran his hand over his face. “We’re entrusting her to not try and rebuild Ritten…how do we know she won’t pull an Emma Whitmore?”

“She has a baby she’s trying to protect.”

“Right. Like that worked with our parents. I still have a sister I never met,” he said bitterly. Lucy put her head down for a minute. Ethan felt remorseful instantly. “I’m sorry Lucy. We can try and get her back.”

“One day,” Lucy said. 

“One day and we’re not letting another five years go by,” Ethan relayed. 

The doorbell chimes again and Lucy can see Ethan straighten his posture. His entire demeanor has changed when he saw Jessica.

“Jessica,” Ethan greeted in a blunt manner. She only nodded in return before laying eyes on Lucy.

Lucy’s eyes move quickly between Jessica and the baby in the stroller. The little girl was sleeping soundly and oblivious to the adults around her. 

She moves over to allow Jessica to sit. “She’s beautiful,” Lucy stated.

“Thank you,” Jessica replied. “I’m sorry I’m late. I was finally able to get the car seat right,” she mused. “Is everything settled?”

Ethan handed her an envelope from his briefcase. “Passports, policies, other documents you will need to start anew.”

Jessica glances at her destination. “Canada.” She looks further at the documentation before turning to Lucy.

“Did you know about this?” she asked. Lucy saw the paperwork for Wyatt. “Did he ask you to create-

“No,” Lucy said. “He didn’t ask me anything. He deserves to be with his child. Ethan and I agreed to set him up in case he decides to go with you.”

Jessica had a tough time believing that the couple was truly over. She made her position clear to Lucy the day she gave birthed that she wasn’t going to take her place. They would co-parent and that’s all. 

“Be happy and live your life,” Lucy said. “With whomever you choose.”

Ethan pulled out another envelope and handed it to Jessica. “Kevin is officially off the payroll. He’s been greatly compensated for his service. Now, as my sister said, live your life.”

##

Lucy returns home and it looks like a tornado ran through. Garcia is cleaning up the living room while her daughters are out cold on the sofa.

Her footsteps alert him and he turns around to face her stern gaze. 

“Garcia, what happened to my living room?”

“We played cowgirls and Indians,” he mused. “We also went camping,” he added. 

Lucy’s stern gaze turned into a softer one. “Did you have fun?”

“I did. I learn something new about them every day although they think I know already. I feel like I’m scrambling to catch up,” he answered.

Lucy hugged him tight. “We both are catching up, but you have been amazing at this. Look at them,” she said. He did, and his heart couldn’t help but fill with happiness.

“They’re happy. They are glad to have you back.”

“What about you after all this time? Do you regret bringing me back? I caused you to lose so many people,” he declared. “It’s not fair.”

“You aren’t to blame. I don’t regret bringing you back,” she said softly. 

She cupped his cheek. “You once said that you prayed to God for answers. Do you remember that?”

“I do. You asked what if God led me to you,” he said. 

“I believe He had. We were always meant to together in one way or another. We make a great team. I don’t want to waste this chance anymore. We’re a family and I want us to continue to be a family. We can start over.”

Lucy doesn’t know how her words have penetrated his heart. 

“Can I ask you something?” he asked. In Chinatown, why do I get the feeling that we never finished our conversation the first time we were there?”

Lucy smiled sheepishly. “We didn’t. We were interrupted and I couldn’t let the opportunity pass again. I wanted to hear your answer.”

He smiled and ran his fingers through her hair. “You are quite persistent Lucy Preston,” he stated.

“Flynn. You forgot to say Preston-Flynn,” Lucy said smirking and playfully narrowing her eyes.

“My apologies,” he said.

She rose on her tip toes and took the chance to kiss him. He didn’t respond out of shock but soon allowed himself to relax against her. 

“You’re forgiven,” she said once they broke apart. She kissed him again and she felt herself being lifted off the ground briefly.

She laughed into his shoulder as he put her down. “Do you know how long I’ve wanted to do that?”

“No.”

She smiled. “Since the day we went to see Robert Johnson. That was the most fun I had on a mission and I saw a different side of you. I was too scared to mess anything up, so I put it out of my mind. Obviously, I missed out on being your gentle and responsive lover back then.”

“And now?” he said huskily.

“We have all the time in the world,” she said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're almost at the end. One more chapter to go.


End file.
